10 Things I Hate About You
by inmyeyes
Summary: RT: Sometimes things don't happen as planned. [Completed]
1. Nothing's Changed

:: Nothing's Changed :: 

Disclaimer : I don't own the characters from the Gilmore Girls; they belong to WB and Amy Sherman-Palladino. Some parts of the dialogue are from the movie script of "10 Things I Hate About You" and do not belong to me, either. 

Note : The story's not based on the movie "10 Things I Hate About You". I do use some of the dialogue from the movie script, references are made, and I do use Kat's poem from the movie (most of these references are made with some changes, though... to fit my own story). However, plot-wise, my story and the movie are different. 

My story takes place some time after "The Third Lorelai". Dean and Rory have broken up (and are not getting back together), Tristan & Rory did kiss at Madeline's party, and the Paris fiasco did happen. 

This is my first attempt at writing a long GG fic. I hope I don't butcher the characters! Let me know if I'm not doing anything right, or if I've broken some sacred GG rule or something. I'm pretty much new to this fandom, so any kind of feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!   
  
  
  


***** 

**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**01 : Nothing's changed**   
**by inmyeyes**

  


(Chilton) 

Rory Gilmore wasn't having a good day. Her days at Chilton weren't the easiest, but for some reason, today had been unusually brutal. Her stack of homework was rapidly piling up, Paris was especially catty and- 

"Hey Mary." 

Tristan was being...._ Tristan._

She leaned her head against her locker. "What is it? Ass-hole day?" 

She turned to face him and was greeted by the usual smirk that graced his features. "Oh wait, I guess in this society being male and an asshole makes you worthy of our time." 

His smirk didn't falter at all, "You wound me deeply, Mary." 

Rory snorted, slammed her locker shut after taking out the books she needed and didn't dignify him with a response. 

She barely took 5 steps away from her locker when she was accosted by Paris. 

"What happened to not liking him?" she accused. 

"What?" 

"Tristan." 

"Get a life, Paris." 

Yes, the day was especially brutal. 

***** 

(Later in the day. Luke's) 

"Give.Me.Coffee." 

Lorelai beamed when she heard the demanding tone of her daughter. "I've taught you well." 

"Just like I've been telling your mother for the last 10 minutes," Luke paused, "_No_." 

Lorelai was just about to keep on pestering him, but she caught the defeated expression on Rory's face, "Forget the evil-coffee man.... what's wrong Mini-Me?" 

"Ihadahorribleday." 

"Well, I had a _terrible_ day. Michel was being even more uncooperative than usual, Sookie was freaking out because she didn't have enough tomatoes, I only have 3 cups of coffee, Luke won't give any more... and I lost my sparkly clip. _Lost_ it! I looked for it everywhere, but the poor sparkly thing was gone. Nowhere to be found! And I just-" she broke off for breath and saw that no one was listening to her. 

"Enough about my terrible day. How was hell?" 

"Horrible." 

When no further explanation was given, Lorelai prodded on, "C'mon Mini-Me, I'm paying big bucks for you to go to that fancy-schmancy prep school... use big words! Blow me away with your extensive vocabulary!" 

Still nothing. She reached over and gave Rory a much-needed hug. 

"LUKE! Cofffeeeeeeeeee!" 

***** 

(The next day. Chilton) 

"Go on, Sparky," Lorelai urged as Rory and her sat in the car in the parking lot of Chilton. 

Heaving a sigh, Rory grabbed her bag and her cup of coffee. At her mother's exclamation "Have a good day!", she gave a slight smile. After yesterday, today could only get better. Yet what first greeted her was Tristan, leaning against the locker next of hers as per usual. 

"Miss me?" 

Rory couldn't quite keep the amusement out of her voice, "You're amazingly self-assured, has anyone ever told you that?" 

"I tell myself that everyday, actually." 

"Yeah, we wouldn't want your head to get smaller... after all the measurements they had to take for the Homecoming crown." 

"Speaking of Homecoming-" 

"No." 

"Great, so you don't mind going with me," Tristan grinned, turning his body to fully face her. 

"_Tristan_! I didn't-" 

The sound of the bell cut her off. Tristan merely gave her a bright smile, said "See ya later," and left her hanging. 

"Unbelievable," she muttered under her breath. 

***** 

(Later in the day) 

She didn't know how he managed it, but Tristan somehow had made it to her locker before she did. 

"You know, I should charge parking fees. I'd make a lot of money since you always seem to be here," she remarked. 

"Then I guess I should get season parking, huh?" 

"What do you want, Tristan?" 

"There's a lot I want, especially-" he broke off and merely grinned cheekily when she gave him a look of death. He wasn't deterred: he leaned slightly closer to her. 

Rory bit back a gasp of shock when Tristan moved within a foot of her. Unbidden, her heart started to pound a bit faster as her brain registered the scent of his cologne and the feel of his breath against her ear as he whispered her name. Surprised by the nerves that had taken over her at his proximity, she stepped back. 

"Are you afraid of me?" he teased, returning to his normal position against the lockers. 

Her response was immediate and indignant. "I am _not_!" 

The smirk was back in place. "Well, maybe you're not afraid of me but I bet you've thought about me naked, huh?" 

Back on familiar ground, Rory became more comfortable. "Am I that transparent? I want you, I need you. Oh, baby, oh, baby." The statement was punctuated with her rolling her eyes. 

He chose to disregard her obvious sarcasm. "I knew it!" 

"Goodbye, Tristan," she said exasperatedly as she picked up her bag and walked down the hallway to the large doors. 

"Bye Mary." 

Shaking her head slightly, Rory smiled.   



	2. Help Me

:: Help Me :: 

**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**02 : Help me**   
by inmyeyes

  
  
(After the last bell. Chilton) 

"So what time shall I pick you up?" 

"What?" 

"You know, Homecoming." 

She gave him a look that clearly meant that going with him had never been an option for her. 

"You are going with me, aren't you?" 

"You never give up, do you?" 

"Is that a yes?" 

"No." 

"Well then, was that a no?." 

She deliberately ignored his question. "Why don't you take one of your fan club members? I'd sure they'd be more than happy to go with you," she reasoned. 

"I might as well take a blow-up doll." 

Rory snickered at his comment. "Ok then, take my advice... go ask a girl who has substance." 

"Yeah but-" 

"Oooh, how about I help you? Y'know, get a date?" 

Tristan laughed at the absurd idea. "I don't need help getting a date, Rory." 

She gave him an evil look that silenced his laughing. "You know what I mean. I'll help you pick a girl. Someone with substance and all that jazz." 

"Remember the last time you tried to set me up?" 

The grimace that settled over her features was sign enough that she hadn't forgotten what had happened when she tried to set Tristan up with Paris. "Well," she said defensively, "That was different." 

He still didn't look convinced. "I don't know, I don't think that's a good idea." 

Rory stuck out her bottom lip, pulling out the pathetic puppy-dog look that she hoped would convince him to go along with her plan. 

Inwardly, Tristan groaned; the butterflies that were ever present in his stomach whenever Rory was around were flipping madly. He ran his hand through his already tousled hair, admitting to himself that he would eventually give in to her. Because she had that kind of power over him. But he wasn't going down without a fight. His mind whirred as he tried to find a reason to deter her, 

"I told you, I like somebody else." The moment the words left his mouth, he knew he had said the wrong thing. The wrong reason. '_Good one, DuGrey. Why don't you just put up posters around the school declaring how crazy you are for her? You couldn't be any more obvious.'_

He needn't have worried; Rory was as clueless and unassuming as ever. He couldn't stop the small flare of hope when her face fell slightly especially when the expression was coupled with her somewhat dejected exclamation of "Oh...". When Summer's name didn't pass through her lips at all, he heaved a huge sigh of relief. At least she didn't think that he still wasn't over her. 

"Why don't you ask that girl then? The one you like?" 

Tristan shook his head ruefully. "I don't think so, Rory." 

"But-" 

"Ok fine... I'll let you help me find a date," he gave in, trying to stop her line of questioning. He gave in, just like he knew he would. 

He had to smile when he saw how delighted she was, and how eager she was to help him out. It was a bittersweet feeling though, realizing that the girl he wanted would happily be pairing him up with another girl. One good thing that he hoped would come out of this was that they'd be able to spend more time together, away from Chilton's stuffy hallways and the watchful eyes of its students. Away from his image, away from Paris, away from all the reasons that made her despise him. 

He hoped that she'd get a glimpse of how Tristan DuGrey really was.   



	3. Getting Along

:: Getting Along :: 

**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**03 : Getting Along**   
by inmyeyes

  
(The next day. Chilton) 

Seeing Tristan in front of her locker didn't faze her at all. She had come to expect him to be there. What fazed her was the large cup from Starbucks that he was holding in his hand. 

Her eyes were fixed on the cup and when she was in front of him, she reached out for it. "I want you, I need you. Oh, baby, oh, baby." Before Tristan could say anything, she snatched the cup from his hand. 

"If I knew bringing you coffee would make you admit how much you want me, I would have done it a long time ago, Rory." 

"Oh, shush. Let a girl enjoy her coffee." Barely 5 seconds later, the cup was empty as Rory licked her lips. 

"So, how's your plan coming along?" 

Rory dug out a small piece of paper from her bag and handed it to him. "I made a list of potential candidates. Let me know what you think." 

***** 

(After school) 

As he seated himself on the bench outside school, Tristan looked over the list once again. There were 10 girls on the list, but there was a little problem. 

"I can't ask any of these girls." 

"Why not?" Rory demanded, "They're pretty, smart, rich and popular. What's the problem?" 

"I'vedatedthembefore." 

"Excuse me? You've dated _all_ of them before?" Rory was incredulous. 

"Not _all_ of them!" he protested weakly, "I dated Michelle, and Cindy's her best friend. There's no way I can ask Cindy... especially after what happened with Michelle." 

"What happ-" 

"You don't wanna know." 

"How about Sandra? Or Carmen? Or Vanessa?" 

"Been there, done that." 

Rory was torn between being frustrated and very amused. "Fine. What about Alexia?" 

"Alexia Carter? A little problem..." 

"What now? You dated her best friend's sister's cousin?" Rory rolled her eyes. 

"She hates my guts." 

"Man, I should ally myself with this girl." She tried to wipe off her teasing grin when she saw how hurt he looked. "Ok, here's what I'll do. She's in some of my classes, so I'll talk to her. Find out what she thinks about you. See if there's any hope that she'll go with you." 

All the doubts he had about letting her do this was coming back to him, but he was startled out of his thoughts when he felt her lightly touch his arm. "C'mon, Tris... give it a try." 

He felt himself nod. 

***** 

(The next day. After school) 

The moment Rory stepped out of the classroom, Tristan grabbed hold of her hand and proceeded to drag her through the hallways and out of school. "I'm taking you home." 

Rory winced slightly as she saw the look of murder in Paris' eyes at Tristan's words, but didn't say anything. She was fighting a bigger battle: she tried hard to ignore the warm feeling of Tristan's fingers laced with hers but failed miserably. When she lifted up her head, she saw that almost everyone was watching Tristan and her. She shifted her gaze down again. 

He didn't know exactly what possessed him to hold her hand, but he wasn't regretting the action. He savoured the feeling of having her small hand in it and was lifted by the fact that she hadn't pulled away. He didn't notice the reaction of the other students at seeing them together that way. 

It was only after they had pulled out of the Chilton parking lot that conversation started. 

"What's this all about?" 

Playing dumb was so much more fun. "What's what?" 

"Driving me home. Why?" 

Tristan shrugged and tried to seem nonchalant about it. "Since you're helping me, I figure this is the least I can do." He immediately changed the subject, "So what's the scoop?" 

"Hates you with the fire of a thousand suns. That's a direct quote." 

He laughed lightly, "Told you so. She hates me more than you do." 

She knew he was teasing, but she somehow felt the need to assure him. "I don't hate you, Tristan." 

He didn't really look convinced. "Are you sure? Not even a little bit?" 

"Not even a little bit," she confirmed. 

There was a slight pause as they both thought over what she said. He changed his tone to one of teasing, "So you actually like me?" 

Rory didn't have to look at him to know that the DuGrey smirk was planted firmly on his lips. "Don't push it, DuGrey." 

Tristan just laughed.   



	4. Stars Hollow

:: Stars Hollow :: 

**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**04 : Stars Hollow**   
by inmyeyes

  
(Stars Hollow) 

Their laughter tapered off as the car came to a stop in front of Luke's. With a bright smile, Rory turned to Tristan. Her breath caught as she realised that she had caught him in an unguarded moment. Everything about him seemed different somehow. The blazer and tie were gone, and the top two buttons of the blue Chilton shirt were undone. His hair seemed to be even more messy than usual. She noticed that the corners of his bright blue eyes crinkled when he laughed. He looked.... carefree. 

And when he turned and caught her eye, she blushed at the embarrassment of being caught staring at him and also at the intensity of his gaze. 

It was at that moment that Rory realised that she didn't know all that there was to Tristan DuGrey. She also admitted that she _wanted_ to know him. 

She was expecting a teasing comment from Tristan for staring at him, but the comment never came. Instead, the smile never left his face and Rory found herself staring at the tiny dimples that were clearly seen. She had never noticed that before... Her thoughts broke off when she felt a light, heated touch on her cheek before the same hand tucked her hair behind her ears, lingering there for a second too long. She looked up, catching Tristan's eyes again. This time, the smile had been replaced by a....tender expression. 

_Tender? Tristan? _It baffled her. 

To diffuse her thoughts, she blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "Wanna get some coffee?" 

***** 

(Inside Luke's) 

"Whose car is Rory getting out of? Who's the boy with her?" Luke demanded, cutting off Lorelai's pleas for more coffee. 

"What?" Surprised, Lorelai turned around in her stool to peer out the glass windows. Sure enough, Rory was getting out of a silver Corvette and with her, was a boy. Wearing a Chilton uniform. She watched with interest as the two of them seemingly bantered back and forth, laughing every few seconds. The fact that Rory was smiling as though Christmas had come early did not escape her notice. 

When they entered the diner, she called out, "Mini-Me!", complete with her pinkie at the corner of her mouth. She caught the bemused expression on the boy's face as the pair walked towards her. 

"Hi Mom." Rory gave her mother a hug, before turning to Tristan. "This is Tristan. He gave me a ride home today." 

Lorelai had a speculative expression on her face. "Tristan? _Evil_ Tristan? Bible Boy?" She smirked. "Where's the horns? Or the fork? Or the red cape? Or is he undercover now? Oooh, maybe-" 

"Mom." Lorelai caught the warning tone and stuck her tongue out at Rory. 

Tristan held out his hand and grinned cheekily, "The spawn of Satan. Nice to meet you, Miss Gilmore." 

"Psssh," she waved her hand dismissively, "None of that Miss stuff. It's Lorelai." She gave him an appraising look. "So you're Tristan...." 

Rory did not like the way her mother was scrutinizing Tristan. She had that gleam in her eye that meant she was thinking something. Before she could say do anything , Tristan jumped in. 

"Not just Tristan, " he paused and smirked, knowing the type of response that Rory was expecting, "_Evil_ Tristan." He turned to Rory. "I didn't know you had bestowed that honour on me. Shame on you for not telling me." 

Rory didn't hesitate. "You didn't know? I didn't know you were that blind, Tris." 

"I'm not the one who's blind, " he muttered and he turned his eyes away from Lorelai when he realised that she had heard him. He did what he did best when he was embarrassed: he changed the subject. "So, can we get coffee?" 

"Score 1 for evil boy!" Lorelai beamed, pumping her fist in the air and smiling triumphantly at Luke. He gave a sigh of defeat and poured out the coffee. 

"So what are you kids up to? Any evil deeds up your sleeve?" The last question was directed at Tristan, who merely shrugged. 

"We've got no plans," Rory clarified, but frowned as she remembered the pile of work she had to do. "Wait, scratch that, I have a date with Shakespeare." 

"Wow, that's new information. I know you're a fan of Shakespeare. That's all I know... you haven't been bringing me up to date, missy," Lorelai wagged her finger at Rory. 

"More than a fan, we're involved." 

A gasp escaped from Tristan. "Involved? What about us?" He clutched his heart in mock pain. 

"There is no us, Tristan." The words were spoken teasingly, but Tristan struggled to hide his wince at her words. Rory faced her mom and adopted a sympathetic tone, "Not only is he blind, but deluded as well. He needs more coffee." 

"Woah, I think I've had enough." 

Both Gilmore girls turned accusing eyes on him. "You can _never_ have enough," Lorelai protested as she reached behind the counter for the coffee pot and poured more for Tristan, Rory and herself before Luke could stop her. "Don't be spouting such nonsense, evil boy. For your sin, you will....." Lorelai tapped her fingers against the countertop while she thought of a suitable punishment for him. "You will have to sit through 'Dirty Dancing' with us!" 

"Mom! I have homework," Rory protested, trying to ignore the fact that her mother just invited _Tristan_ to watch a movie _with them_ at _their house_. 

"Pshaw. Forget homework. Forget Shakespeare.... hello Patrick Swayze!" Lorelai let out a dreamy sigh, as she clutched her cup of coffee tightly. 

Tristan had been watching Rory and knew that she was uncomfortable with the idea. He didn't want to push his luck. They had just started being friends again, and he didn't want to hurt that. "I don't think-" 

"Oh no, evil boy... you_ have_ to come. You've been sentenced to watching 'Dirty Dancing' for speaking such words of sin against coffee. You must be punished." Lorelai's tone meant business. 

Tristan let out a nervous sigh. "Are you ok with this, Rory?" he asked quietly. 

Rory managed to smile. "Yeah, at least I'll have someone sane with me when she decides to get up and follow the moves in the movie." Her smile widened, "On one condition: Shakespeare gets jealous pretty easily, so it's not my fault if he comes after you." 

Tristan laughed. "Ok, I accept my punishment." 

As they left the diner, Lorelai let out a sly grin. She had a feeling that she'd be seeing more of Tristan in future. Much more.   



	5. Admitting

:: Admitting :: 

**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**05 : Admitting**   
by inmyeyes

  


  
(Later that night. Outside the Gilmore house) 

"Thanks for tonight." 

Rory smiled. It had been nice having Tristan there. It had been more than nice, it was a lot more fun that she anticipated. Tristan had certainly let his guard down and the moments when he reverted back to Evil Tristan, she knew that he was merely teasing. It was certainly an entertaining evening, especially when... "Thanks for not freaking out when my mom pulled you up and made you dance with her just like Patrick Swayze," she laughed. 

In the dim moonlight, she saw Tristan redden slightly, a look that made him seem more like a little boy than the confident teenager he was. 

Tristan shrugged. "What was I supposed to do? I don't think she would have taken no for an answer," he pointed out. 

"True." 

"I'm glad you were here," Rory shyly admitted, wringing her hands nervously. 

"So am I." 

Rory looked up and saw him genuinely smiling at her. 

Silence lapsed as the two teens racked their brains to think of something to say to fill the void. 

Tristan was the first to break the silence. "So... I guess I'll see you tomorrow in school." He didn't want to go. He wanted to stay as long as he could before he had to return to his own drab life. He wanted to stay and see her smile at him in that sweet way she had. He wanted to reach out and touch her and hold her to her and hear her laugh. He wanted to- 

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." 

They shared another smile. 

***** 

(Inside the house) 

Lorelai was waiting to pounce on her the moment Rory closed the front door behind her after saying good-bye to Tristan. 

"So did anything happen?" Lorelai grinned slyly and rubbed her hands in glee. 

"Huh?" 

Lorelai sighed and dragged Rory over to the couch. "Tristan. Did anything happen with him? Is Will gonna have to kick some ass?" 

"Will?" 

She groaned at the game of playing dumb that Rory was adopting. "Yes, Will... the guy you're involved with." 

The light bulb clicked in Rory's head. "Oh, Shakespeare. Why would he need to kick anyone's ass?" 

Lorelai buried her head with a cushion with frustration. "That's what I wanna know. Did anything happen?" 

"Why would anything happen?" 

Lorelai tapped her daughter's head. "Hello? Anyone in there? Tristan is hot. Brutally hot. If I were 16 years younger..." She sighed but she started to poke Rory with her finger. "Why didn't you tell me he was hot?" 

"It was not necessary information." 

Lorelai dramatically put on a look of woe. "Oh, how I have failed! My daughter think good looks is not necessary information!" 

Rory rolled her eyes at her mother's dramatics. "It's just that his good looks was secondary to his evil nature," she explained. 

"A-ha!" Lorelai jumped up and pointed an accusing finger at Rory. "So you don't deny he's hot!" 

"I never said he wasn't," Rory pointed out and Lorelai sat herself down with a defeated "Oh..." 

"So did anything happen?" Lorelai bounced on the couch. 

"Noth-" 

"Oooh... I bet something did happen. He reached out and ran his fingers through your hair and-" 

Rory rolled her eyes again. "Nothing happened." 

"He pulled you close and kissed you softly," she sighed, holding a cushion to her chest. "How romantic that first kiss would be...." 

"It wouldn't be our first kiss," Rory mumbled without thinking. When she realized what she had inadvertently revealed, she held her breath and hoped that her mother hadn't heard her. But Lorelai had sharp ears. 

"You've kissed him before?" she screeched. "You've kissed Tristan!" Lorelai jumped up and down in excitement before something hit her. "Why didn't you tell me? Where? When? How? Why did not you not me?" she demanded. 

Rory sighed in defeat. "At a piano. Madeline's party. It was an accident. I forgot." 

"It was an _accident_? You _forgot_?" Lorelai repeated incredulously. "You, of all people, don't kiss people accidentally. Especially one you supposedly hate." She folded her arms cross her chest. "I don't buy your lies, dear daughter of mine." 

Rory gave her the cliff notes version. "He broke up with his girlfriend. I broke up with my boyfriend. We were sad. We bonded... kinda. He apologized for being a jerk. I accepted the apology. We kissed. It was an accident. End of story." 

Lorelai didn't look convinced at all. "There are loopholes in your little tale. You're leaving out some important details. Tell. Me. All." 

"What are the chances of you leaving me alone?" Rory asked exasperatedly. 

She pretended to think the matter over. "Ummm... slim to none." 

Rory gave in and gave her anxious mother a blow-by-blow account of the kiss. 

"So how was the kiss? Did you like it?" Lorelai prodded. 

"It was... _nice_." was the vague answer that didn't satisfy Lorelai at all. She made a face. 

"Nice? That's such a tepid word. _Nice_. It's something my mother would say. Come on, Rory... tell me," she whined. 

The truth of the matter was that Rory couldn't find the words to describe the kiss, even though every moment of it was etched permanently in her mind. 

She remembered sitting next to him on that piano bench and looking at him, and into his cerulean eyes. She remembered seeing something akin to longing in those very same eyes that wouldn't let go of hers. She remembered the moment she knew that he was going to kiss her and the split-second after that when she knew that she would let him, knew that she wanted him to. 

She could remember the shock of feeling his firm yet soft lips on her and the way he coaxed her to respond. She remembered the feeling of a thousand butterflies fluttering wildly, as she pressed her lips harder against his. She remembered wanting to lift her hand and run her fingers through his hair to see if it felt as soft as it looked. 

She remembered thinking that Dean never made her feel that way Tristan was making her feel. It was nothing else existed in those short moments, her world had been turned upside down, her heart was beating twice as fast, and she couldn't think coherently at all. 

She also remembered pulling away, tears involuntarily streaming down her face. She remembered the hurt yet concerned look that crossed Tristan's face. 

She remembered following her head which told her to get out of there, which told her that she had made a mistake; disregarding her heart that told her to stay and kiss him senseless. 

"It was that good, huh?" Lorelai said softly, as she watched the emotions play across her daughter's face. Her suspicions were confirmed. There was a lot more going on between Tristan and Rory beneath the surface. 

Rory nestled herself in her mother's open arms and nodded mutely. 


	6. Flirting

:: Flirting :: 

**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**06 : Flirting**   
by inmyeyes

  
(The next day. Chilton) 

As she neared her locker, she was surprised to find it void of Tristan's presence. She brushed aside the pang of disappointment that sprang in her chest, bypassed her locker and hurried to her first class. All the while, her eyes were searching the hallways for him. 

She almost gasped in surprise when she saw his familiar form already in the classroom, perched on a desk, looking as though he was flirting with Alexia Carter, the girl who "hates him when the fire of a thousand suns". 

"Well, I guess it's a cloudy day today," she muttered sarcastically as she made her way to her seat, without passing by the pair. As she settled herself, she tore her eyes away from them and focused on her book. 

She did, however, notice that Tristan was in full-flirting mode: leaning towards her, a half-smile on his chiseled features, touching her arm ever so often and laughing gaily. She had seen him in action before but this was bothering her more than it should. It bothered her to see him this way after the great time they had the night before, after seeing him be so unlike the usual Tristan. 

Her heart gave a silent sigh as she feigned interest in her book. When Tristan passed her desk to get to his, he gave her a cheery "Hi Rory!" complete with the smile that she had seen yesterday. When she looked up and saw his expression, her heart lurched and unbidden, she reciprocated the smile and returned the greeting. 

Rory finally made her way to her locker at the end of the second period to dump her heavy books there. She was pleasantly surprised when the familiar aroma of coffee hit me. 

Inside her locker was a large cup of Starbucks coffee. With it was a post-it note that simply read, 'I had the time of my life.' 

With a wide smile and a slight shake of her head, she pulled off the post-it, stuck it in her bag and chugged the already-cold coffee. 

'He must have put it there before school,' she mused. 

She couldn't believe he had done that for her. 

***** 

(After school. Outside Chilton) 

"Thanks for the coffee," Rory said as Tristan sat beside her on the bench that they had come to call their own. 

"You're welcome," he smiled widely. 

"I only found it after the second period and it was already cold," she shrugged. "But coffee is coffee. So thanks." She didn't allow Tristan to speak and went right on. "So what's with Alexia and you?" 

"What? Nothing." 

"It's never nothing when it comes to you. There must have been something. You two were talking... oh wait, sorry, I meant flirting." 

"How would you know?" he challenged. 

"I know flirting when I see it," she answered confidently, returning the look he was giving her. She tilted her chin up. "I saw the way you were talking to her, the way you were looking at her and the way you smiled." Tristan couldn't quite believe that she had been watching him that closely. "You were definitely flirting." 

He laughed. "I was just being friendly." 

Rory held her ground. "You were flirting." 

"No, I wasn't," Tristan disagreed. He moved closer to Rory and practically trapped her between the arm rest and his body. Then he leaned forward slightly, locking his eyes with her slightly shocked gaze. He reached out to lightly caress her cheek, before pushing her silky hair back behind her ear. He let his hand linger there for a while, then slowly pulled it away. Then he moved closer, and whispered, "_That_ was flirting." 

Rory's breath had caught in her throat the moment he had cornered her and she couldn't seem to find the will to push him away. She sat as still as a rock while Tristan overwhelmed her with his closeness and caused her senses to go into overdrive. Her eyes fluttered as she felt the warmth of his hand against her cheek. And when his husky voice whispered intimately in her ear, she shut her eyes, held onto the armrest with a death grip and tried desperately to stop the shivers in her spine. It was no use, though; every single cell in her body was attuned to him. 

Tristan slowly moved away and assumed a nonchalant position, hoping that he hadn't crossed a line with her. 

Rory took a deep breath to try and regain her composure before speaking. "Ok, so you weren't flirting with her. Still, what was that all about?" 

"I told you, nothing. I was just talking to her." 

Rory didn't believe a word of what he was saying. "Yeah, uh-huh... sure... that's all you were doing." 

The smirk that crossed his features put Rory on her guard. "Are you jealous, Mary?" he teased. He leaned back on the bench and watched her squirm uncomfortably under his scrutiny. 

"I am not," she protested, albeit weakly. She looked down and let her hair form a curtain around her reddened cheeks. 

"It's okay, you don't have to be," he reassured in a confident tone. He leaned down to her level and brushed her hair aside before lifting her chin up so that their eyes met. He lowered his voice to a soft whisper, "I only have eyes for you, Rory." 

She didn't know what to make of his words. Was he serious? Was he just teasing her? After a few seconds, his eyes still didn't reveal anything. She made a grab for her bag. "I- I have to go.... can't miss my bus." 

He knew that he had unsettled her, confused her, and made her think and seeing her flustered brought a smile on his face. "Yeah... see you tomorrow." 

"Yeah, bye," was her quick response before she walked as quickly as she could away from him. 

***** 

(Stars Hollow) 

Rory heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Lane waiting for her at the bus stop. The moment she stepped off the bus, she handed Lane the yellow post-it that she had been staring at the entire way home. "He left me coffee, and that note in my locker." 

Lane gave a perplexed look to her best friend who was sitting next to her on the bench. "I'm sorry, but I'm neither a mind-reader nor a psychic." 

Rory just groaned. "And he told me that he only has eyes for me." 

Lane was definitely intrigued. "Who's this boy? Rory?" 

She just groaned again and leaned her head on her friend's shoulder. "I need coffee."   



	7. Confused

:: Confused :: 

**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**07 : Confused**   
by inmyeyes

  
(Luke's) 

"Ok, so now you have the coffee you so desperately needed. Tell me about this!" Lane demanded, waving the yellow post-it in the air. 

"I went to my locker after second period, and there was a cup of Starbucks coffee inside, with that note." 

Lane shook her head. "You're still not telling me the important stuff. Who's it from?" 

Rory curled her fingers around the coffee mug. "Who do you think it's from?" 

Lane thumped her head against the table. "Rory, I've got no time to play these games with you... why can't you just-" She broke off and her mouth dropped open. "It's from Evil Tristan, isn't it?" 

"Oooooh, I heard the 'T' word," Lorelai sing-songed as she entered the diner and made her way to the girls. "Talking about Hot Tristan, are we?" 

Rory gave her mother a look. "Since when is he Hot Tristan?" 

"Since I found out he was hot," Lorelai grinned. "It has a much nicer ring than Evil Tristan, don't you think?" 

"Wait, Tristan is hot?" Lane was incredulous. "Why didn't you tell me?" 

"That's what I said," Lorelai agreed. "But apparently, it wasn't necessary information." She used quotations mark to quote Rory's words. 

Lane reached over and lightly hit Rory. "Rory!" 

Lorelai smiled triumphantly at her daughter before bouncing over to get some coffee. "Lukey!" 

"So tell me about this Tristan. How hot is he? What does he look like?" 

"Can't I tell you about what happened today first?" Rory whined. 

"Well, this story you wanna tell involved Tristan, right?" When Rory nodded she went on. "So, I need a visual. Tell me what he looks like." 

"Fine. He's tall, blond and has blue eyes," Rory said in a monotone. 

Lane shook her head disappointingly. "Lorelai!" 

Lorelai came over, holding a mug of coffee protectively. "Yes?" 

"Tell me what Hot Tristan looks like." 

Lorelai squealed and sat herself beside Rory. "He's tall with tousled blond hair that looks so soft and the bluest blue eyes you've ever seen. They're like the blue of the Pacific Ocean or something. And his smile... the boy has a good smile. He's a charmer too." 

Lane gave Rory a scolding look. "That's the kind description I was looking for." 

"I'm disturbed that you paid that much attention to him," Rory remarked dryly. 

Lorelai ignored her. "What did she say?" 

"He's tall, blond and has blue eyes." 

Lorelai gave her daughter a sad look. "That's an understatement, Mini-Me. What happened to your English skills?" She caught sight of the yellow post-it that was on the table. "What's that?" 

As Lane handed the piece of paper to Lorelai, Rory leaned her head down on the table and sighed deeply, preparing herself for her mother's reaction. Lorelai didn't disappoint. 

"Oh my god!" she gasped. "This is from Hot Tristan!" 

Rory decided she might as well hit her mother with all the information she had. "And he told me that he only has eyes for me." 

Another gasp was drawn from Lorelai. "I knew it!" she cried victoriously. "I knew that he had a thing for you!" 

"Hot Tristan has a thing for you?" Lane repeated. "I don't talk to you for one day and I miss all these things!" she complained. 

"He does not have a thing for me!" Rory protested. 

"Did he not give you this note? Did he not tell you that he only has eyes for you? Did you not kiss him and like it?" Lorelai let loose with a barrage of questions. 

"You kissed him?" Lane was shocked. "You don't tell me anything!" 

"What has the kiss got to do with anything?" 

Lorelai shrieked in frustration. "Believe me, Mini-Me... he has a thing for you." 

"He's just being Tristan. Confusing me is his hobby." 

"He has a thing for you." Lorelai repeated. 

"I'm leaving," Rory declared, picking up her bag and walking out of the diner. Barely three seconds later, she came back in and snatched the yellow post-it from Lorelai's hand before stomping out again. 

"_She_ has a thing for him," Lane & Lorelai chorused. 

***** 

(Gilmore House) 

Rory trudged her way to her room and let her bag fall with a loud thud. Then she posted the yellow post-it on her mirror and flopped down on her bed. 

"He does not have a thing for me," she mumbled. "I don't have a thing for him. We're just friends. We're not even friends... we're...." Rory searched her mind for something to describe their relationship but nothing came to mind. She gave up and sighed. 

***** 

(Later) 

"Rory!" Lorelai called out, closing the front door behind her. There was no answer. She found her daughter laying in bed, holding her stuffed rooster close to her, staring up at the ceiling. 

"Do you think he really likes me?" Rory asked in a soft voice, her eyes never leaving the feeling. 

Without any hesitation, Lorelai lay down next to Rory and hugged her close. "I think there's something there." 

Rory sighed and snuggled closer to her mother. "He confuses me, mom. Sometimes, I feel like smacking him and telling him to shut up. Other times, seeing him smile make me smile, and I loved seeing how happy he was when he was here. I don't know if he's teasing or if he's serious, if I'm just a conquest, or if he really likes me..." 

"Ok, so you don't know about him. What about you? How do you feel?" 

"I feel that, given a chance to know him, I could really come to care for him," she revealed. 

"Care for him in what way?" Lorelai asked, wanting Rory to sort through what she was feeling. 

"I don't know yet." 

***** 

(That Night. The DuGrey house) 

He flipped through the pages of the History book, but realised that his attempt to study was futile. Every six seconds, his mind wandered to her. Ever six seconds, her smile flashed in his mind. Every six seconds, he remembered the scent of her raspberry in her hair as he leaned close to her. Every six seconds, he remembered how blue her eyes looked. 

Tristan snapped the book close and leaned back on his chair. He couldn't believe how quickly things had changed between Rory and himself. All it took was some time spent together away from Chilton. 

He had learnt a lot about her that night at her house. She was open, and loving, and funny when she wanted to be. She had the worst coffee addiction, second only to her mother. She had the most beautiful laugh. She got embarrassed easily, and always tried to cover her blush with her long hair. 

She was every inch as amazing as he had made her out to be. 

Homecoming was coming up quite soon, and Tristan hoped that Rory had forgotten her plan to set him up with someone. He was thinking about asking her. Hell, she was the only girl that he had even considered asking. But he needed to be sure that she'd accept his invitation. He didn't think that his heart could handle rejection from her. He had to be sure that he went about asking her in the correct way. 

_'Knowing me, I'll probably screw it up. She'll throw me some insult and stomp away,' _he shook his head wryly. 

He didn't know exactly what she thought of him. Did she still despise him? Or had her feelings softened? Did she enjoy his company? 

Did she realise that he was half in-love with her? 

With a hard shake of his head, Tristan snapped himself out of his thoughts. He needed to get his homework done. Resolving to at least stop thinking of Rory for the next few hours, he turned back to his books. 


	8. Darcy & Elizabeth

:: Darcy & Elizabeth :: 

**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**08 : Darcy & Elizabeth**   
by inmyeyes

  


  


(Lunch. Chilton dining hall) 

"What are you reading?" 

Rory jumped at the feel of Tristan's breath tickling her ear. She turned her head, and found that he was much close than she anticipated. They were almost nose to nose, blue on blue. "Don't do that!" she chided, trying to ignore the faint whiff of his cologne that she inevitably caught. 

Tristan just gave an indolent grin as he sprawled himself on the empty seat next to hers. "What are you reading?" 

"Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice'," she replied, her eyes now on the words in front of her. 

His grin widened. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees and kept his gaze on her. "In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." 

Rory's eyes jerked up at the familiar words of Darcy's proposal. "You've read this?" 

Tristan leaned back, revelling in her surprise and half-mesmerized by her beauty. He smiled confidently. "Don't look so surprised, Mary. I can read, you know." 

Rory reddened, embarrassed that he had read her mind. "I-I didn't mean... it's not that- I just..." 

The grin fell off his face. "Hey, it's ok. I know what you meant." He lightly touched her arm in reassurance. 

Rory tried to compose her thoughts, and ignore the searing touch of his hand on her. "I'm sorry anyway," she insisted. "I didn't think that you'd read Austen. It's just that hearing you, of all people, quoting Darcy threw me off," she admitted. 

"You like Darcy?" 

"Of course, who wouldn't?" 

Tristan found an opening and ran with it. "I think I'm a lot like Darcy." 

"How so?" 

Tristan smirked. "Well, for starter's, there's the obvious. We're both rich and good-looking." 

Rory snorted. 

"And we're both misunderstood. We're both judged solely on our interaction within society. And we both like someone who has the worst impression of us, and someone who isn't at all aware of how we feel. Our every word and action is misinterpreted." Tristan averted his eyes as he realized how much he had revealed. He decided to go for broke. 

"And you're like Elizabeth Bennet," he smiled at Rory's shocked look. "Smart, strong, witty, beautiful and feminine in an utterly bewitching way. Not afraid of speaking your mind, not impressed by wealth and status. And you, just like Elizabeth, don't have the best impression of Darcy." 

Now he had definitely revealed too much. 

There was a tense silence as Rory tried to fully understand what he had just said. 

Tristan turned around in his chair. "I have to go, my friends are waiting for me." He gestured to the table where all the 'popular' crowd sat. 

"You don't always have to be what they want you to be, you know," Rory stated quietly. The look in his eyes told her that he knew the truth of what she said.   
  
"I happen to like being adored, thankyou," Tristan teased, but Rory noticed that there was a sad glint in his eyes. "I'll see you later." 

"Yeah." She watched him as he walked away. She watched as the mannerisms that she had come to know so well were acted out. 

Sighing silently, she turned back to her book. 

***** 

(Later. The Gilmore House) 

"Ok, let me get this straight. He's Darcy and you're Elizabeth," Lorelai said. 

"Something like that." 

"Isn't Darcy like in love with Elizabeth? And Elizabeth can't stand him because she thinks he's a pompous, self-absorbed jerk?" 

Rory leaned back against the couch and wearily slung her arm over her face. "Yes." 

"Well, Hot Tristan practically confessed that he's in love with you, didn't he?" Lorelai pointed out. 

"Not really," she mumbled, even though she herself thought that after hours of analyzing every word he had said. 

"He did," she insisted, prying Rory's arm away from her face and pulling her up. "He likes you, and he's trying to tell you." 

"He likes anything female that can breathe, mother." 

"If I remember correctly, by the end of the book, Elizabeth's opinion of Darcy did a complete 180." 

"And your point is?" Rory asked. 

Lorelai went on. "Elizabeth falls in love with the man Darcy really is, and they get married." 

"Wow, Mom, you actually finished reading the book," Rory remarked dryly, arms across her chest in a gesture of defiance. 

Lorelai didn't pay any attention to Rory. "So, if life imitates art, then you'll drastically change your opinion of Hot Tristan-" 

"Will you stop calling him Hot Tristan?" Rory said irritably. 

"And you'll fall in love with him, 'cos god knows he's already half in love with you." 

"I'm not going to fall in love with him!" 

"Of course, you won't." But Rory knew from her mother's tone that she didn't believe a word of what she was saying. 

***** 

(Friday evening) 

"Hurry up, Mom!" Rory called out, waiting at the foot of the stairs. "We need to leave now!" 

"I can't find my black shoes!" 

When Lorelai still didn't make her way downstairs after about 5 minutes, Rory went up. 

"I don't wanna go!" Lorelai pouted, sitting on her bed, already fully dressed, her black shoes on her feet. 

Rory sighed and pulled her mom by the arm. "Come on, Grandma's gonna kill us if we're more than 10 minutes late!" 

"Can't we tell her that I slipped and fell and broke my leg and that we can't go for dinner for the next 3 months?" 

Rory ignored her, and continued to push her out of the house. 

Lorelai smiled evilly. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you. There'll be guests at dinner tonight." 

"Who?" 

The smile grew. "The DuGreys." 

"Excuse me? I don't think I heard you correctly." Rory stopped walking. She prayed that she had mistakenly heard what her mother had said. She didn't think she could handle a Gilmore dinner with Tristan DuGrey there. 

"The DuGreys are gonna be there. Mom's on some committee for some charity ball and Mrs DuGrey is on it as well. So they were invited for dinner." She saw the relieved look on Rory's face. "And Hot Tristan will be there. Mom invited him as well when she found out he's from Chilton." 

"Oh great," Rory lamented. 

"C'mon, Lizzy, your Darcy awaits." This time, it was Lorelai who had to drag Rory along. 


	9. Something True

:: Something True :: 

**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**09 : Something True**   
**by inmyeyes**

  
****   
**** (Hartford. Gilmore House) 

"I'm screwed." 

"Hey no, I don't wanna hear that defeatist attitude. I wanna hear you upbeat." 

"I'm screwed." 

"Oh c'mon, it's only dinner," Lorelai said, trying to cheer Rory up as they trudged their way to the front door. 

Rory shot her mother a look. "Oh right, this coming from you Miss "Tell them I broke my leg and we can't come for the next three months". This is a bad night. Dinner with Tristan. _Bad_." 

Lorelai pressed the doorbell. "I'll let you sit opposite him, so that you can stare into his blue-" The sound of a throat clearing interrupted her. "Oh, hi mom." 

"Hello, Lorelai. Late again, I see," she commented, allowing them to come in. "You could have at least made the effort to come early since we have guests." 

"Hi Grandma." 

"Hello Rory. How's school?" 

"Oh, it's good. As stressful as ever." 

"Speaking of Chilton, Tristan DuGrey is here with his parents. Do you know him, Rory?" 

"He's in some of my classes." was her noncommittal answer. 

"Good. He's in the library, why don't you join him there? I'll send for you once dinner is ready." 

"Ok, Grandma," Rory said, giving Lorelai a "Help-Me" look. 

Lorelai just shrugged. 

***** 

He had seen her the moment she arrived with her mother. He watched them through the window as the pair seemingly bickered. Straight away he noticed the expression on Rory's face and instinctively knew that it was because she had just found out he would be there. 

It wasn't as though he was willingly there. Ok, he actually was. He'd take any chance at spending more time with her, but he wasn't too thrilled that she would meet his parents. He feared that his parents would chew her up and spit her up. After spending time with Lorelai and Rory, it would be difficult to introduce Rory to his social-conscious parents. 

Add to all that his anxiety over her reaction over the whole "Darcy & Elizabeth" thing, and he was probably the most nervous he had ever been. That was probably why he had nearly jumped out of his skin when her familiar voice sounded in the room. 

"Hello Tristan." 

He turned away from the window to face her and an involuntary smile overcame him as his eyes took her in. The first thing that caught him was her blue eyes, looking right at him, coupled with a slight smile. She was wearing a knee-length black shirt with a deep blue v-neck top that served to only highlight the intensity of her eyes. Her hair was pulled back with a barrette. There was beauty in her simplicity. 

"You look beautiful," the compliment rolled off his tongue, as he drank in the sight of her. 

Of all the things she had expected him to say, that was not on her list. For what seemed like the thousandth time, he had thrown her off with his unpredictability. She didn't know how to respond. 

"Umm, thank you," she mumbled, looking down at her hands. A moment later, she looked back up and saw that his eyes hadn't moved. They were still fixed on her. Deciding to be bold, she took the chance to look at him. 

'_Mom is right, he's definitely Hot Tristan_,' she silently admitted. The suit he was wearing seemed no different from the Chilton uniform, but for a reason that Rory couldn't place, he looked much better. The confident aura around him seemed more pronounced than ever, even though he wore the suit with the same casual manner he wore the Chilton uniform. His hair was in it usually messy style... and he looked pretty much the same. 

But _something_ about him was different. 

'_Maybe it's just you,' _she reasoned. 

Tristan caught her appraising look and couldn't help asking, "How do I look?" 

Rory's eyes snapped up and caught his amused expression. She fought to keep her blush at bay. "You look like my Great-Uncle Milton," she replied coolly. 

"You think I should lose the tie?" he played along, tugging gently at the blue-striped tie he was wearing. He made his way to the settee where Rory had seated herself. 

"Yeah, lose the tie." 

"I know you're not exactly happy to see me here," Tristan said candidly, trying to keep his tone light. 

"I was surprised, that's all." 

"Sure you were." 

Rory abruptly changed the subject. "Tell me something true." 

Tristan gave her a confused look. "Ok. Something true? I hate peas." 

Rory laughed. "Ok, tell me something else that's true." 

"I think you're beautiful." 

"Tristan, I said something _true_," Rory scolded teasingly, trying to ignore the flutters in her stomach. 

"It is true," Tristan insisted, inching himself slightly closer to her. "I know you don't believe it, but it's true." He reached out and lightly ran the back of his hand across her smooth cheek. 

"Why don't you like peas?" 

Tristan chuckled. Rory was obviously uncomfortable with their line of conversation. Before he could answer, Lorelai came into the room. 

"Darcy, Lizzy," Lorelai grinned, noticing how close they were sitting and how relieved Rory looked to see her. "Dinner is served." 

Rory was never more glad for her mother's impeccable timing. 

***** 

(Later that night. Stars Hollow. Luke's) 

"Rory, sweetheart, I love you but you're as blind as a bat," Lorelai remarked. 

"Thanks, mom. I appreciate that." 

"Like you appreciated the googly-eyes Hot Tristan was making at you alllll night?" Lorelai teased, after taking a long sip of her coffee. She wriggled her eyebrows. 

"How did you manage to get us the coffee?" Rory switched topics. 

"Wow, that was a subtle change of subject," Lorelai commented. "I distracted Luke, and made a dash for the pot," she proclaimed proudly. 

"So, how did you keep him distracted?" 

"I dazzled him with my... wits." 

"I don't wanna know," Rory declared. 

"Anyway, back to your blindness. The boy has got it bad for you, Ror," Lorelai said knowingly. 

"Can we not talk about him?" 

"It's true." 

Rory groaned. "This topic is getting old." 

"Ok, fine," Lorelai conceded. "Did you notice that ugly brooch my mother was wearing?" she shuddered in distaste. 

Rory just laughed. 

***** 

(Monday morning. Chilton) 

"Hi Rory." The voice startled her, and she dropped the book she was holding. The figure near to her bent down to help her pick it up. "There you go." 

"Oh, hi Alexia. Thanks." 

The petite girl smiled in return. "I was wondering if I could borrow last Thursday's History notes. I wasn't in school." 

"Oh sure, no problem. I have it at home, I'll bring it tomorrow." 

"Great, thanks." 

Rory decided to take the chance to ask her about Tristan. "I was just wondering... what happened with you and Tristan?" She closed her locker, picked up her bag and walked down the hallway to her next class with Alexia next to her. 

Alexia shrugged. "We had a big fight last year." 

"You dated him?" 

She laughed. "Oh, no, thank god we never did. We were paired together for a project and things didn't go too well." 

"I can imagine," Rory sympathized. 

"We basically didn't agree on anything. And the day we were supposed to present it, he didn't hold up his end of the work. We had a disagreement right here in the hallway, and we haven't been the best of friends ever since," she continued, ending with a shrug. 

"You guys are ok now, right?" 

"I guess... we're civil to each other now," she said. Then she grinned. "Just as long as we don't have to do another project together, we're fine." 

They both laughed. 

"If he were to ask you to Homecoming, would you go?" Rory asked gingerly. 

"He wouldn't ask me," she answered surely. "He's already got someone else in mind." Alexia had noticed the friendship between the two, and she was also perceptive enough to know that Tristan liked Rory. It wasn't that it was very obvious, because Tristan was good at hiding his feelings. But all the little things added up to show that he had a partiality for her. The way he always sought her out, the way he smiled at her as though she was something special, the way he stared at her when he thought no one was looking. Hell, with the way Tristan was acting, soon half the school would be aware that he had an interest in Rory. 

"He does?" Rory exclaimed. "How do you know?" 

Alexia smiled at her blissful ignorance. "I just noticed that he has his eye on someone, that's all. I may be wrong." 

But she knew she wasn't. 

***** 

(After school. Chilton courtyard) 

"You've already got someone in mind to ask Homecoming, don't you?" Rory asked the moment she saw Tristan. 

"What?" he asked, trying to stop from panicking. How could she have known that he was planning on asking her? 

"Who's the girl? Do I know her? Why didn't you tell me?" 

Tristan breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that she didn't know. "Eager much, Rory? I can't tell you who she is." 

"Why not? Do I know her?" 

"Yes, you know her," he replied. "I haven't even asked her yet, so I can't tell you who she is." 

"Oh my god, is she that girl you like?" Rory waited expectantly for his answer.... which never came. 

"Look, you'll be the first to know once I ask her, okay?" he tried to placate her. 

Rory pouted. "Ok, fine." 

"Are you going?" 

"To Homecoming? No." 

"Ok." He hoped that for the next two weeks until Homecoming, no one would ask her.... at least until next Monday, which was when _he_ planned on asking her. 

Rory stopped in surprise. "What? No lecture? No telling me that I should be more social?" 

"Nope, today's a lecture-free day." The pair continued walking. "Hey, do you wanna go to the mall with me this weekend?" he ventured to ask. 

"Whatever for?" 

"You could help me pick out something to wear for Homecoming," he offered. 

She didn't buy his excuse. "No really, why?" 

He shrugged, and tried to seem indifferent. "I just thought we could hang out or whatever. I also wanted to get a book." 

"Ok." She didn't quite believe that she had agreed to voluntarily spend time with him. As friends. But, she admitted to herself, things had changed somewhat between them. Their tentative friendship wasn't so rocky any more. And she did enjoy talking to him, and being with him. 

He was surprised at how fast and easily she agreed, but didn't say anything about it lest it made her change her mind. But he had to say _something_... 

"And I'm back in the game!" he declared, a wide grin on his face. He got smacked in the arm. 


	10. Taking A Chance

:: Taking A Chance :: 

**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**10 : Taking A Chance**   
by inmyeyes

  


  
(Saturday afternoon. Gilmore House) 

"Tell me again where you're going?" 

"I'm going to the mall." 

"And tell me who you're going with?" Lorelai grinned. 

Rory rolled her eyes, knowing what her mother was up to. "Like I told you, 5 seconds ago, I'm going to the mall with Tristan." 

"_Tristan_?" Lorelai feigned surprise. "Hot Tristan?" 

"Do you know any other Tristans?" 

Lorelai shrugged. "I dunno, maybe you're hiding other hot Tristans from me. Since you know, good looks are not necessary information." 

"_Mom_!" 

Lorelai put her hands up in mock surrender. "Fine, fine... I'm off to Luke's. I'm due for my half hourly dosage of the miracle drug. See ya later, kid." 

"Bye Mom... don't give Luke too much hell." 

Lorelai laughed evilly. "No promises!" she called out as she left. 

***** 

There he was, standing in front of Rory Gilmore's house... to pick her up to go to the mall. It was almost like a _date_. 

'_Wishful thinking, DuGrey. That's just wishful thinking._' 

He didn't like to admit it, but he was nervous. This would be one of the first times they would spend time together, just the two of them. It was stressful, it was nerve-wracking, it was pressurizing... and it was wonderful. 

Just him, and the girl of his dreams. What more could a guy ask for? 

Well, there _was_ a lot more he could ask for, but he figured it would all come in time. With Rory, everything took patience. He had to give her time to come around, to see him as he was, to want to spend time with him and to want to be with him. 

He wanted her heart, her soul, her mind, her body... everything. But he had to give her time to be ready to give it to him willingly. 

He wanted her to want him, the same way he had wanted her for so long. 

And all this time he was going to spend with her was a big step. 

***** 

(Hartford mall) 

"Ok, so what's our plan of attack?" 

"Attack?" Tristan cocked her eyebrow in amusement. 

"You know... so many stores, so little time." 

Tristan laughed. "Well, I need to get something from Barnes & Noble." 

"Great. Barnes & Noble it is," she agreed. Without thinking, she grabbed his hand and proceeded to drag him in the direction of the bookstore. 

***** 

(Mall. The Gap) 

"So, what do you think? White? Or blue?" 

"I think I like the white shirt better," Rory decided. 

"Yeah, it's more-" 

"Pensive?" 

"Damn, I was going for thoughtful," Tristan said in mock disappointment, then joined Rory in her laughter. He placed the two shirts back on the rack and almost yelped in surprise when Rory began tugging at his arm. Hard. 

"C'mon, let's go," she whined. "I see a Starbucks. I need coffee. It's been 3 hours and 37 minutes since my last cup." 

Tristan let her pull him there and watched as she blissfully accepted her cup of coffee by the barista and practically inhaled the liquid. 

"Woah, woah... not so fast, tiger," he warned, pulled the cup away. 

"Trissstan! I need that!" With the expression on her face, Tristan half-expected her to stomp her foot and pout. 

"Don't drink it so fast." 

She smiled innocently and held out her hand. The moment the cup was back in her hands, she gulped it down, smiling triumphantly at the look on Tristan's face. "Don't worry, I do it all the time." 

Tristan heaved a loud sigh, but when Rory looked at him, he was smiling widely. "Why am I not surprised?" 

***** 

(That evening. Stars Hollow) 

"And this," she gestured to the gazebo they were standing in, "is the middle of town." 

After spending a few hours at the mall, Rory offered to take Tristan around the town to show him the sights. The tour itself had lasted barely half an hour, but Tristan loved to see the animated look on her face while she showed him the town that she clearly loved. 

"It's a great place," Tristan remarked. "Quirky." 

Rory chuckled. "Oh, you have no idea. You should come by when we have one of our festivals. It's a riot." 

They sat on the steps of the gazebo, watching the activity around the town; both content with the comfortable silence enveloping them. Both were lost in their own thoughts. 

"You know, you're not as vile as I thought you were," Rory commented, smiling brightly as Tristan turned to face her. 

He laughed lightly. "So, I was evil _and _vile?" 

"Present tense, DuGrey. Still evil and vile," she replied. Almost as an afterthought she added, "Just not as much as I thought." 

"Wow, what a reputation to live up to." Sarcasm laced his voice. His voice turned teasing. "Yet here you are. With me." 

Rory shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a sucker." 

The two laughed, as silence descended again. Meanwhile, a hard battle was fought in Tristan's mind. Slowly, tentatively, he moved his hand closer to Rory's and after a slight hesitation, he gently laced his fingers with her. He waited in bated breath, almost expecting Rory to pull away. 

Rory tried to calm her racing heart as she felt her hand engulfed by his. It was a warm, fuzzy feeling, having her hand in his. She kept her eyes away from him, knowing very well that if her eyes caught his, she would blush like crazy. Still, to reassure him that it was all right, she lightly squeezed his hand. 

A few minutes later though, she felt him tug on her hand, and lightly pull her up to stand in front of him. They were standing considerably far apart, hands still clasped together, yet Rory somehow felt overwhelmed by him. 

Words fell from her lips as she tried to ignore that feeling. "I know you can be overwhelmed and you can be underwhelmed but can you ever be just whelmed?" 

"I think you can in Europe." 

Rory wanted to laugh, but the sound broke off as Tristan took a step closer to her, setting her senses on fire. 

"I had a great time, Rory Gilmore." 

"Me too," she whispered. 

Tristan reached out to lightly cup her cheek, and Rory anticipated feeling his kiss for the second time. She could almost see it happen, could almost feel it. He moved his hands into her hair, cradling her head lightly. He leaned in, and kissed her... on her cheek. 

Rory almost sighed in disappointment. 

He pulled back slowly, but didn't move away from her. "See you on Monday." With one last, slow smile, he turned and walked to his car. 

Rory sank down on the steps, her mind in a daze. 

***** 

(Later that night. Gilmore house. Rory's room) 

She couldn't stop thinking about him. He made her head hurt from all the analyzing she had to do, she was as confused as ever... and she couldn't help reliving that moment when they had kissed at Madeline's party. 

He was slowly, but surely driving her insane. 

She had come to an inevitable conclusion: it seemed like she was falling for the enemy. 

Damnit, how had this happen? Why did this have to happen? She would have been perfectly happy, despising him and everything he stood for. She would have been perfectly happy putting up with his thinly-veiled innuendoes and verbal barbs. 

Yet, a part of her told her that she would be perfectly happy to share everything with him. She would be perfectly happy to talk with him, laugh with him, tease him and watch him smile. She would be perfectly happy to be able to hug him for no reason at all. She would be perfectly happy to know that all his kisses were just for her. She would be perfectly happy to lose herself in him. 

_Damnit_. This was not supposed to happen. She was not supposed to care. 

***** 

(Outside) 

He had been sitting in his car for the last 15 minutes, trying to get the nerve to knock on her door. The light in her room was shining, so he knew that she was still awake. All he had to do was knock on her door and ask her. 

He had to take a chance. 

That was how he came to be standing in front of her door barely 3 minutes later, ringing her doorbell and praying that it was Rory, not Lorelai, who would open the door. 

Rory tried to hide her look of surprise. "Couldn't stay away, Tris?" 

He looked down at his shoes. "Something like that," he mumbled. 

Rory's brow furrowed as she watched Tristan. He wasn't acting like himself. His hands were jammed in his pockets, his eyes were downcast and gone was his confident demeanour. "Is everything all right, Tristan?" She led him to the seat on their porch, holding onto his hand reassuringly. 

He took a breath. "Yeah, everything is fine," he said. He turned his hand so that he was able to hold hers. "I just had to ask you something." 

"You drove all the way from Hartford at this time just to ask me something?" 

"It's important. To me." 

"Ok, far be it for me to stop you. Ask away." With a light tone, she added, "This better be good, Tris." 

'_This is it, DuGrey. Don't screw it up._' 

He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in. "Would you do me the honour of being my date for Homecoming?" 

Rory's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Excuse me?" she stuttered out. 

Tristan wearily ran a hand through his already messy hair. "I'd like you to be my date for Homecoming." 

'_Damn Tristan and his unpredictability_!' She was flabbergasted. She didn't know what to say, what to do. 

Tristan's heart sank as minutes passed without any kind of response from Rory. "It's ok, Rory. You don't have to say anything. I understand," he said softly, untangling his hand from hers and standing up. He had to leave. He had to get out of there. "I thought that I should at least have tried. And I did." 

Rory looked at him, and saw how he was desperately trying to hide the hurt. He was smiling slightly, but his eyes told her how affected he really was. 

"Uh... I guess I should go," he awkwardly said. He seemed to pause a little, as though waiting for something from her, but when nothing came forth, he turned on his heel. 

"Tristan!" Rory jumped up, and ran after him. She stood in front of his still form. His expression was carefully neutral, not betraying the hope that he had felt when she had called out his name. 

"You keep on surprising me," Rory admitted. Tristan didn't say anything, but merely looked at her, trying to gauge what she was going to do, and say. "And this is probably the biggest surprise of all." The question was weighing on her mind; she _had_ to ask. "Why me?" 

"Why not?" he countered. He saw that she wasn't satisfied with his answer. He took another chance. "Because you're the one that I want." 

"Surprise #2," Rory mumbled, not able to process the information that he was revealing. 

"Look Rory... let's just end this misery. Let's not drag this out. We'll just forget this ever happened." He felt drained and tired. He needed to leave. 

This time, it was Rory who decided to take the plunge. "We can't forget this," she protested, holding onto his arm. "Not when we'll be at Homecoming together." 

"Don't play with me, Rory," he warned. "Don't agree to go with me just 'cos you feel sorry for me. I don't want that." 

Rory shook her head vehemently. "Tristan, I _want_ to go with you." She laid her hand on his cheek and sought his eyes. Her voice took on a tender quality. "Don't let anyone ever make you feel like you don't deserve what you want." 

"It's me who feels I don't deserve what I want," he revealed. He gently pulled her hand away, lay a soft kiss on her palm and backed away from her. "I'll see you on Monday." 

For what seemed like the millionth time, Tristan left her confused. 


	11. Could (You Fall In Love With Me)

**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**11 : Could (You Fall In Love With Me)**   
by inmyeyes

  


  
(Tuesday. After school. Chilton courtyard) 

He had been avoiding her. 

At first she didn't want to believe it, but when she saw him turn the other way when he saw her, it was hard to deny that he wasn't avoiding her. 

Avoidance was something she couldn't handle, especially from Tristan. If she wasn't as hurt as she was, she would have been amused. The boy, who had actively sought her out for the last few months, the boy who had previously made her life as Chilton even more hell-ish that it already was, was leaving her alone. 

He had been avoiding her, and she wouldn't stand for it. 

She did admit, though, that he had been very good at it. The day before she had hardly seen him in the hallways, he wasn't at lunch, and he was somehow the last to arrive and the first to leave in the classes he shared with her. And those few moments when she did see him, he was surrounded by his group of friends and Rory knew better than to attempt to speak to him then. 

That morning, she dropped a note into his locker, asking him to meet her at the courtyard, at "their" bench at 4 in the afternoon. 

It was already 4.10. 

'_I should just leave_.' But her feet remained planted on the ground, her fingers nervously playing with the hem of her plaid skirt. '_I'm sitting here, waiting for Tristan. Why am I here? I should just leave.' _Of course, it figures that the moment she decided that she _would_ leave, he'd appear. 

A hand on her shoulder stopped her, and she knew who it was. Sure enough, she was right. 

"Sorry, I'm late," he apologized, taking a seat next to her. "I had something to do." 

"I didn't think you were coming." 

"Why?" 

"Tristan, you've been avoiding me," Rory exclaimed exasperatedly. 

He was quick to deny it. "I was not." 

"You _were_." Tristan's silence was enough to tell her that he knew it was true. She had to say what she wanted to say. "Look Tristan, I don't know what you think, but I _want_ to go to Homecoming with you. _I want to_. You can't just spring that kind of question on me, I didn't expect it at all. But this little game you're playing might make me change my mind." 

"I'm _not_ playing any games with you!," he protested. "I never have." 

"Has this got to do with Homecoming?" 

"Of course not." 

She saw through his lie. "Tristan, I still wanna go with you... if the offer's still up." 

"Are you sure?" 

She nodded affirmatively. "Positive. Are _you_ sure? What about that girl, the one you like?" 

Tristan smiled wryly. She still didn't get it. He was surprisingly all right with that; he knew that sooner or later she'd realize it... or he'd just confess to her. It didn't matter because for one night, they'd be together the way he wanted them to be. Whatever chance she threw his way, he'd take it. 

Even if it was just one night. 

***** 

(Friday evening. Before the dance. Gilmore house) 

"So... you and Hot Tristan are on a _date_," Lorelai commented, as she styled Rory's hair. 

"Mom, can you not start on this?" 

"Well, I'm still in shock. I didn't think you'd go to the dance, let alone with Hot Tristan." 

Rory shrugged. "He asked me, so I said yes." 

Lorelai smiled victoriously when she got the last bobby pin in place. "There you're done." 

Rory took a look at herself in the mirror. The light blue dress she was wearing fell to her ankles, the full skirt making a swish-ing sound when she turned. Her hair was expertly pinned up by her mother, revealing the smooth skin of her shoulders and the straps of her dress that crossed her back. 

"You look beautiful, honey. You're gonna blow him away." 

"Thanks mom." Rory hugged her. 

On cue, the doorbell rang. Lorelai smoothed down an errant piece of hair on Rory's head, told her to wait for a few minutes and went to answer the door. 

That was when the nervousness kicked in. She was going to Homecoming with _Tristan_. It was a notion she had been trying to come to terms with ever since he had asked her. It wasn't that she regretted accepting his invitation... it was just that she was out of her depth with Tristan. He was out of her league, and it scared her because she didn't know what to expect from him. 

She sat down gingerly at the edge of her bed, wringing her hands. She could faintly hear her mom talking to Tristan. The dormant butterflies in her stomach chose that moment to come to life. She wouldn't let her nerves get the best of her. With one last look in the mirror and an attempt to smile brightly, she made her way to the living room. 

***** 

Anticipation was going to kill him. He tried to seem nonchalant while Lorelai was talking to him, but he couldn't help his eyes from straying to the direction of Rory's room. He knew that Lorelai knew what he was thinking. She had a knowing smile on her face. 

"You like her, don't you?" was her blunt question. 

"More than she'll ever know." He figured there was no use hiding anything from Lorelai. "I'm nervous. And I'm never nervous." He let out a huge breath, almost relieved at his admittance. 

Lorelai reached out and lightly squeezed his arm in reassurance. "It's fine. You guys are gonna have a great time." 

Tristan hardly heard the encouraging words. He knew the moment Rory entered the room; his eyes had immediately gravitated to her. And his breath caught. 

The blue of her dress made her azure eyes even more brilliant than usual, and the shy smile on her face added to her allure. He always knew she was beautiful, but this blew him out of the water. 

"Hi Tristan." 

He walked the short distance to where she stood, and lightly grasped her hand. He handed her the white rose he brought for her. "You look beautiful, Rory." 

His compliment earned him a soft blush. "Thank you. So do you." Her blush deepened. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered wildly when he smiled at her. Her mind was still reeling from how good he looked; which was very, very _very _good. The suit he was wearing fit him perfectly, his blonde hair created a halo around his head but it was his smile that made her heart race. That, and the way he was looking at her. He had never looked at her that way before. Hell, _no one _had ever looked at her that way. It scared, and thrilled her at the same time. 

Lorelai had to smile, noticing how the two teenagers were enamoured with each other but each was too scared to admit to it. "Ok, kids. You should make a move." She ushered the pair out of the house, and with well wishes for the night, she sent them on their way. 

Something was going to happen that night, she just knew it. She only hoped that Rory wouldn't run away from it. 

***** 

(Venue of the dance: Chilton Hall) 

"Have I mentioned how great you look?" 

She turned to him, smiling brightly. "Not in the last 5 minutes." 

He laughed. "You look great." 

Her smile turned smug. "I know." Almost as an afterthought, she added, "So do you." 

"I know." 

Rory saw his smirk, and just shook her head. "You're so-" 

"Charming? Handsome?" 

"Overconfident." 

"I'm not overconfident," he disagreed. "I just know what I want. And right now, I want to dance with my date." He held out his hand, and she took it. Both tried to ignore the tingly feeling that dance up their spine at the contact. 

As they made their way to the makeshift dance floor, the song changed to a ballad, something that made Rory even more nervous than she already was. She didn't know how she could handle dancing so closely to Tristan when her hand was already burning from his touch. 

Tristan almost groaned when he heard the new song start up. Of all the songs in the world, they just had to play the song that hit too close to home for him: Brian McKnight's "Back At One". 

There was an awkward moment when they both stood there, not knowing exactly what to do. Finally, he reached out and put her arms around his neck, wrapped his own arms around her waist, then drew her close. At first, the awkwardness continued; Rory was searching her mind for something to say, whilst Tristan was trying to calm his racing heart. 

'_Come on Rory, say something... anything!_' But her nerves were too frazzled; all she knew was the warmth of Tristan's touch on her back, her intoxicating scent of his cologne and the feel of his rapidly beating heart. She didn't even dare look at him because she knew that his eyes would only unnerve her even more. 

"I need coffee," she mumbled. 

Tristan chuckled when he heard her words. "I don't think you'll find any here, Ror." 

"Drats!" 

From then on, conversation flowed, and the pair became much more comfortable with each other. Rory relaxed in the circle of Tristan's arms and unknowingly moved closer to him, something that he instantly noticed. By the time the song ended, Rory's hands were playing with the hair at Tristan's nape, his arms were wrapped possessively around her waist and they were cheek to cheek. 

Reluctantly, he pulled away from her when the beat of the song changed. Clasping hands, he led her though the crowd to the table where they could get some drinks. Before they could get there though, they were way-laid by Alexia. 

"Hey guys," she said cheerily. "So, Tristan, you finally got the nerve to ask Rory, huh?" She winked. "I thought you'd never get around to it." 

Rory shot him a puzzled look. 

"Uh yeah... I finally got around to asking her." 

And, _finally_, Rory understood. "We'll talk to you later, Alexia. There's something we need to do." 

Alexia shrugged, smile still in place. "Ok sure. You guys have a good time." 

After a hurried good-bye, Rory pulled on Tristan's hand, dragging him out of the hall and into an empty classroom. 

This time, it was Tristan who was confused. "What's wrong, Rory?" 

"We need to talk," she said, leaning her hip against the teacher's table. She wished that they would switch on some lights, but she didn't want to draw any attention to the room. In the moonlight and the light streaming in from the streetlights outside, she could barely make out Tristan. "Could you come closer, Tris?" 

Never in a million years that Tristan ever expected to hear those words coming from Rory. He felt the urge to let out some smart-ass comment, but held himself back when he saw the serious look in her eyes. "Is something wrong?" 

Rory shook her head, her hand reaching for his. "Tristan, there's nothing wrong. I just need to talk to you." She let out a nervous laugh. "It's just that I don't know where to start." 

He reassuringly squeezed her hand. 

She cleared her throat before venturing to speak. "You always meant to ask me, didn't you?" 

He played dumb. "Excuse me?" 

"To Homecoming. You always meant to ask me." It was a statement, not a question. 

"I _wanted_ to ask you. So, yes... I did mean to ask you," he admitted. 

"Why?" 

"Why not?" He ran his free hand through his hair. He knew that it was time to lay his cards on the table, to let everything out. He was scared as hell. But he knew he had to do this. She had to at least know what he felt. He leaned closer to her, grabbing both of her hands in his. "Rory, I like you." He took a deep breath. "I'm crazy about you." He fixed his eyes on hers. "I think you're amazing." 

'_He likes me? He's crazy about me? He thinks I'm amazing?_' She didn't know, she had no clue. 

"Oh, Tristan..." Even in the faint light, she saw his face fall slightly and she felt him slowly draw his hands away from hers. 

"It's okay, Rory," he tried to smile as though it was okay, but he couldn't. It _wasn't_ all okay, but he had to pretend it was. He _had to_. "It's fine. You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know. That's all." He took a step away from her, closing his eyes against the pain. He had expected this, had steeled himself against her possible reaction... but nothing compared to the heaviness of his heart. There was no way he could have prepared himself for this. 

Then he felt her hand pulling him back to where he had been. He felt the soft touch of her hand on his cheek and couldn't help but lean into her palm. 

"I didn't know. I'm sorry," she whispered. 

"There was no way you could have known," he said, shaking his head ruefully. "Not with the way I treated you." 

"Do you remember that night we kissed? At Madeline's party?" 

Tristan let out a low laugh. "How could I forget? That was the single most amazing kiss in my life." 

"Yeah," she sighed. "I know what you mean." She paused for a second. "It was a nice kiss." 

At her words, he locked his eyes on hers and saw that she was smiling slightly at him. "Yeah?" 

Her smile widened as she remembered the conversation. "Very nice. Not at all crying material." 

Tristan's grin turned mischievous. "Really?" 

"Absolutely." Rory nodded. 

"Wanna try it again?" he asked teasingly. 

Her hand that had been resting against his cheek felt his smile widen. Moving closer to him, she curled her arms around his neck and lightly ran his fingers through his hair. Involuntarily, he raised his arms to rest around her waist, his eyes watching as she licked her lips. 

"Definitely." 

An instant later, his lips had swooped down on hers, igniting the same feelings she had experienced during that short first kiss; only this time the effect was tenfold. She was aware of nothing else but him and the crazy butterflies that were going berserk in her stomach. She tightened her arms around his neck and felt him reciprocate the gesture when he pulled her closer to him. 

At first, the kiss had a frantic, desperate quality to it, as though he couldn't believe that he was kissing her, as though he thought that this would be the last time he'd be able to kiss her, as though he thought she could pull away. But when she responded eagerly, his lips gentled as his arms cradled her possessively in his embrace. It seemed like he couldn't get enough of her. 

It _was _true; he couldn't get enough of her. Kissing Rory made him feel alive. He wanted to brand her with his kisses, stake his claim on her, because he couldn't bear the thought of her kissing anyone else, of not being with her. One night wasn't enough anymore... he wanted this feeling to last for more than just one night. 

The kiss was... everything and so much more. 

Reluctantly, Tristan was the first to pull away, trying to catch his breath. He rained tiny kisses on her face: along her jaw, on her nose, on her eyelids. 

"It wasn't just a fluke... the way you made me feel the last time," Rory remarked softly, running her fingers along his jaw. 

"It wasn't," Tristan agreed. He lowered his voice slightly. "You make me feel this way all the time." 

It was at that moment, when he smiled at her in that special way he had, his eyes shining, his arms protectively around her... it was at _that_ moment when she felt that she could fall in love with him. 


	12. Almost Doesn't Count

A.N : Here's my sad, _sad_ attempt at drama. 

*****   
**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**12 : Almost Doesn't Count**   
**by inmyeyes**

  
  
  


(The dance) 

She realized that she loved to torture herself. 

She couldn't keep her eyes off of _them_. She always knew that there was something brewing underneath the surface of their seemingly antagonistic relationship. It wasn't all cut and dry when it came to the two of them. She had always somehow known that he liked her; she had even come to somewhat accept it. It was all right, so long as _she_ didn't develop any feelings for him. 

She should have known better though. 

Rory Gilmore had waltzed into Chilton, and without even batting an eyelid, she had Tristan DuGrey falling all over himself to get her attention. 

She had accepted the fact that Rory was smart; that much she could handle. A little competition never hurt anyone, least of all Paris Gellar. 

The bitter pill for her to swallow was to see them together at the dance. It was difficult to ignore the way he looked at her like she was everything he could ever want in his life. It was difficult to ignore how she was now looking at him, as though she had found something she never knew she wanted. It was difficult to ignore how it was so blatant what their feelings for each other were. 

Most of all, it was difficult to ignore the soft, sweet kisses they were sharing. 

She clenched her jaw, trying as hard as she could to not let any emotion show. She wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing her cry. 

Paris Gellar wasn't affected by anything. 

***** 

She made him feel that way all the time. And she now realized that he made her feel the same way. 

Her eyes immediately found his form sitting across the table from her. It seemed like she couldn't keep her eyes off of him... and it seemed like _he_ couldn't keep his eyes off her. When their eyes locked, she couldn't stop the blush from overtaking her cheeks. The blush deepened when she recognized the look in his eyes. 

He wanted to kiss her. 

She watched, enraptured as he licked his lips and leaned across the table. He grinned cheekily and raised an eyebrow at her. Laughing slightly at how cute he was acting, she surprised both him and herself. 

She made the first move and closed the distance between them. 

***** 

It was a surreal sort of haze that he was trapped in. He knew that she was real, that she was in his arms willingly. He knew that whatever that was between them was real... but at the back of his mind, a little voice was telling him that it wouldn't last. 

Happiness and Tristan DuGrey never did mix well. 

He pushed that nagging feeling away; nothing was going to ruin this night and nothing was going to ruin what he ad with Rory. To reassure himself, he leaned down slightly, his lips brushing hers as he revelled in the wondrous feelings that coursed through his body at the contact. 

And when she looked up at him, her eyes glowing, her lips curled up in a smile just for him, he felt like nothing could go wrong. 

***** 

(A little while later) 

As she was about to round the corner leading to the restroom, she was halted by the obnoxious, loud laughter that rang through the hallway. She was about to move on... when she heard her name. Steeped in curiousity, she stayed where she was, listening. 

A moment later, she wished that she hadn't. 

She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. She _refused_ to believe it. It _couldn't _be... Tristan _wouldn't_..... But-   
Rory blindly groped for support and leaned herself against the wall, trying valiantly to stop the onslaught of tears. She closed her eyes, trying to block out any truth in what she had overheard. 

She bit her lip, willing the tears to go away. She was not going to cry. Not over him. Not now. She pushed herself away from the wall, inhaled deeply and straightened her back. 

For the second time in her life, when it came to Tristan, she followed her head, leaving her trampled heart behind. 

***** 

When he saw her nearing the table where he was seated, he could barely hold back his smile. The look of joy turned to one of confusion when he noticed the hard, steely look in her eyes. This was not Rory. Something was wrong. 

"Can you please take me home?" 

His brow furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong? Are you feeling all right?" 

She pulled her arm away from his grasp. "I'm fine," she said curtly, refusing to look him in the eye. "Just take me home." 

The nagging feeling that he tried to ignore earlier came back full force. "Rory, something's wrong. Tell me what happened." 

She gave him a level gaze that betrayed nothing. "Take me home, Tristan." 

He took a deep breath, trying to stop the panic from setting in. "Was it me? Did I do something?" he asked urgently. He need to fix this, whatever that was wrong. He had to. 

The laugh that was let out at his comment was cold. The smile that accompanied it was chilling. "I should never have trusted you." She turned to walk away, but Tristan stopped her with a hand on her arm. 

"Tell me what happened, what I did," he pleaded. The sinking feeling in his stomach increased. 

"I'm nothing but a game to you," she whispered harshly and in that moment, he could how hurt she really was. Her liquid blue eyes turned a soft dewy blue and the fight went out of her stance. But a moment later, her resolute look returned. "I should have known better." 

Tristan was at a loss for words. Where the hell had she gotten that idea? She was everything _but_ a game. With her, everything was at stake, especially his heart. "What makes you think-" 

She just shook her head, and started walking away, ignoring the looks that everyone was casting her way. She'd find her way home herself. She didn't want to be anywhere near that-that... 

"Rory!" 

She didn't want to, she _really _didn't want to... but she stopped. She didn't turn around to face him though. She noticed the eerie silence in the hall. "What else is there to say, Tristan?" She felt his presence behind her and felt his fingers gently thread through hers and she wanted to cry at the sweetness of the contact. Slowly, he pulled her around to face him. 

"Rory," he started, ignoring the stares of everyone around him. "I don't know where you got the idea that you're just a game to me. You're_ not_." He took a breath and lowered his voice. "I like you. A lot." He took a plunge. "I think I'm in love with you." 

_He loved her? _She whirled around at his words, her anger sparked by the flippant way he threw the word 'love' at her. 

Whatever reaction he had hoped from her was nothing compared to the response he got. 

"I scorn your idea of love. I scorn the counterfeit emotion you offer and I scorn you when you offer it." She paused, gathering the strength to say her next words. "I hate you." She saw him flinch at the impact of her words and she wanted desperately to take the hurtful words back but the memory of what she had overheard replayed in her mind.   
"I hate you and everything you stand for." 

She saw the tortured anguish displayed clearly in his eyes, but his body language didn't betray any of the hurt he was feeling. She turned on her heel and walked away, keeping her jaw clenched tightly and her breathing even to keep the tears at bay. 

Had she turned and looked back, she would have seen the desolate and utterly dejected look on Tristan's face. 

***** 

The worst part was that he had to find the strength to smile and bear it. Pretend that everything was fine. Pretend that his heart was breaking into tiny pieces that could never be glued back together. Pretend that he was unaffected by what had happened. Pretend that her declaration of hate didn't faze him at all. Pretend that his world hadn't come crumbling down. 

He did it though. He had to, because it was the only defence he had left. The facade that was Tristan DuGrey was his only salvation. 

So he stayed at the dance; finding the will to smile charmingly at the girls who came to offer their 'sympathy', laughing gaily at the comments about Rory that were thrown around and living up to the image that everyone had of him. It was draining but he did it and he was never so glad to be at home, alone in his room. 

Finally, in the darkness and loneliness of his room, he let himself fall apart. 

***** 

  
  


A.N : Confused? Have no idea what happened? -evil laughter- No worries, all will be revealed... _later_.   
And big thanks to you guys who reviewed :D 


	13. Fixing A Broken Heart

A.N : Sorry for the delay, but I had exams and didn't have time to write (even though I didn't study that much either :P). But _here it is_... wonder no more, you'll find out what happened... I think it's anti-climatic after all that -ahem- _drama_ in the previous chapter... but I tried... so -shrug- _enjoy_! :D****

  
****

**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**13 : Fixing A Broken Heart**   
by inmyeyes   


  
(Monday. Chilton) 

She wished the the earth would open up and swallow her whole. 

She had the worst weekend ever. After calling her mom to pick her up at Chilton, she was silent the whole way home. She knew her mom saw the tears that were falling silently down her cheeks, but Lorelai had the sense to know that Rory didn't want to talk about it. 

And she didn't talk about it. Not even when Lorelai prodded, and begged, and tried to bribe her with coffee. She didn't cry during the entire weekend though. She meticulously finished all the homework she had, cleaned her room, did the laundry and wished that Monday wouldn't come. 

But it did, and there she was at her locker, trying to ignore the looks and whispers around her. 

This time, it was Rory who was avoiding Tristan. It was almost like a replay of her first few weeks at Chilton, when she did all she could to stay out of everyone's way. Now, all she wanted was to stay out of Tristan's way. 

This time, it was Rory who found a folded piece of paper in her locker, bearing the words 'We need to talk. Meet me after school.' in Tristan's familiar scrawl. The paper was scrunched up and disposed of in a nearby bin. 

***** 

(The next day. After school. Chilton courtyard) 

The moment she stepped out of Chilton's front doors, she saw him leaning casually against the wall where he could clearly see her walking out. The look in his eyes, though, betrayed his nonchalant stance. 

"Leave me alone, Tristan." 

He fell into step with her. "We need to talk." 

"I have nothing to say to you," she said in a clipped voice. "And there's nothing that I want to hear from you." 

"Give me five minutes," he pleaded, laying a hand on her arm. "Hear me out - and then I'll leave you alone." 

She ventured a look at him and saw the pleading in his eyes. Reluctantly, she let him lead her to thei- no, it wasn't their bench. 

"Make it quick," she mumbled, sitting as far as possible as she could. 

Tristan sighed, running a hand anxiously through his hair. "What happened at the dance, Rory? I'm confused. One minute we're all right- no, we were much more than all right... we were great. Then suddenly..." He saw her jaw tense but she didn't say anything. 

"Did you get the note I left you?" 

"Yes." 

"Why didn't you meet me yesterday?" he asked, his voice strained. "I've been thinking about this the whole weekend and I really-" 

"Like I said, I have nothing to say to you." 

He shook his head, his voice insistent. "I think you have a lot to say." 

"I've put the entire incident out of my mind," she lied, managing to keep her voice even. "Don't flatter yourself by thinking I'm upset about it." 

She kept her voice averted and missed the flare of frustration that leaped in his eyes. "Cut it out, Rory! Stop playing games - just be straight with me!" 

Her smile was wry. "How ironic," she stated, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "All I've ever wanted was for you to be straight with me and now you expect me to do that for you." 

"Since when have I not been straight with you?" he demanded. 

Rory jumped up, her eyes flashing. "Ever since the moment I met you, we've been trapped in this silly little game... and I don't even know the rules! And then after that one kiss, things just suddenly changed. Then we're friends... and I thought that the game-playing was over." She stopped her tirade for a moment, breathing deeply to try to calm herself. When she spoke again, her voice had lost some of the fight it had. "I thought we were at least friends. But-" 

"We _are_ friends," he cut in. 

"I should have known better. Guys like you don't like girls like me. It just doesn't happen." 

"But Rory-" 

Her voice sounded sound and weak. "Do you know how much it hurt to hear that all I ever was to you was a dare, a challenge... a conquest, another notch on the belt of the mighty Tristan DuGrey?" She sat down on the bench wearily. "I'm not you, Tristan. I can't pretend that things don't affect me, that my feelings aren't hurt." 

"What makes you think that I don't hurt?" he countered. 

Rory snorted in derision. "You're the world's biggest manipulator. Everyone thinks you're so terrific- but it's all one big scam. You're a walking lie." 

"Thanks a lot," he muttered sarcastically. 

"It fits, does it?" she said, maintaining the harsh edge to her voice. "You set out to charm me, seduce me into liking you.. into caring for you, just to prove a point-" 

"I did not!" 

"Whatever you said, or did was just so you could prove that you could make a conquest of me. Every single thing you did was calculated to make me fall in love with you." 

"Everything I said was the truth, Rory," he insisted. 

She didn't listen. "You'll be glad to know that you won," she said softly, losing the strength that had fueled her tirade. She had to leave. "Good-bye, Tristan." 

***** 

He held up his end of the bargain- he left her alone. It was more difficult than ever, but he did it. 

After they had 'talked', he couldn't get her words out of his mind. He finally pieced together what had possibly happened. It seemed like Rory had overheard some people talking about them, and about his bad intentions towards her or something to that effect. If he ever found out who said that about them.... 

But it didn't really matter _who _had said it, what mattered was that Rory overheard it... and she believed it. He realized that that was what hurt the most; that she believed gossip over his own words, that she was so quick to jump to conclusions, that she still thought ill of him in the back of her mind... that she still didn't really trust him. 

But, he conceded, it wasn't all her fault. He had given her good reason to doubt him after all that he had put her through when she first came to Chilton. He couldn't expect her to just forget that or put it aside. It was just that he thought that they had come to the point where she had developed _some_ semblance of trust in him. It was funny how she thought that they were friends, but she didn't extend to him the trust and belief that a friend would give to another. 

It frustrated him that he couldn't really do anything to rectify the matter. He knew Rory well enough, and he knew that seeking her out and tryng to reason with her wouldn't do any good while she was still obviously upset. 

He couldn't do anything... but he couldn't just give up either. 

***** 

(Friday. Chilton) 

"Why do you keep on trying?" came the familiar voice behind him. She had heard about the display at the dance, and she was perceptive enough to see the tension between the two. It was clear that despite whatever that had happened, he still felt strongly for her. 

He tore his eyes from Rory's departing figure as she walked out of the classroom and tried to mask the pain in his eyes before turning around. Had it been anyone but Paris, he would have been able to pull off his nonchalant act. But she knew him, and she could see through him whenever he tried to hide something. Especially if he was trying to hide something. 

"I have to try." 

She almost wanted to smack Rory for making his usually bright eyes so despondent and resigned and for putting that desperate glint in his eyes. He smiled sadly at her, and she wanted so much to reach out and hug him or... console him, or something because she knew exactly how he felt. 

"Anything worth keeping is worth fighting for, Paris." 

"And when do you stop fighting?" 

"You don't," he stated simply. 

As he strode away from her, she wanted to point out that she never had the chance to fight for him. It was a battle that she knew she'd lose, a battle that she had to give up. 

There was no contest when it came to Tristan DuGrey's heart. 

***** 

'_You're pathetic,_' she chided herself, burying her face in her pillow, trying to drown out the song playing on her stereo. 

"Hey Rory, I don't think death by pillow is the way to go," Lorelai pointed out, leaning against the door frame. 

"Go away," said Rory's muffled voice. 

"What's with the Brian McKnight tribute?" 

"Just felt like it," Rory stated, turning around and leaning against the headboard of her bed. She crossed her arms and dared her mother to challenge her. 

"That's odd... considering you've never listened to Brian McKnight before," Lorelai commented, mimicking Rory's actions and smiling slyly. 

Rory didn't back down. "Well, I thought I'd start. There's always room for some sappy R&B ballad on my CD rack." 

Lorelai strode into the room, sitting on the bed next to Rory. "You've been listening to this song on repeat for the last few hours. No wait, you've been listening to this song for the last few _days_. Something's wrong." Rory's silence convinced her that something was indeed amiss. Lorelai scrutinized her daughter, coming to a conclusion. "You're wallowing, aren't you?" 

Rory's tone was defiant. "I am _not. _I don't wallow." She saw the knowing smile on her mother's face and groaned silently, knowing that she was going to eventually tell her what had happened. 

"Sure, ok, you're not wallowing," Lorelai conceded, but her tone implied that she didn't believe a word of what Rory was saying. Her smile turned evil. "So, you're reading Pride and Prejudice again?" 

Rory knew exactly what was being insinuated. "It's a good book," she insisted. "One of my favourites, you know that." 

Lorelai looked mildly offended, but Rory knew it was an act. "Of course I know it's your favourite!" The mock anger dissolved and the evil grin was back in place. "So, what's happening with Darcy and Elizabeth?" she queried. 

Rory cast her eyes down, smiling sadly. "Things are falling apart between them. She thought that he was wonderful, and she thought that she could really come to care for him.. and he told her that he thinks he falling in love with her-" 

"Ok, tell me again about the part where things are falling apart?" Lorelai asked, confused. 

"Elizabeth found out that Darcy was just going out with her on a dare, just to prove a point that he could make her fall in love with him, that's what happened." 

Rory saw the shock on her mom's face. "Yeah, that was my reaction," she mumbled. Moments later, she was engulfed in her mom's arms. 

"I'm sorry, babe. I really thought he liked you." 

"Yeah, I did too," Rory said softly. Lorelai pulled away and wiped away a stray tear that had fallen. 

"Did you guys dance to Brian McKnight or something?" 

Rory laughed lightly, but it came out sounding forced. "Yeah, we did." She paused, letting the memory of being in his arms wash over her. "I'm pathetic," she concluded, shaking her head slowly. 

"No, you're not," Lorelai disagreed. "You're just wallowing." 

Rory caught her mom's eye and tried to smile. "Yeah, I guess I am." 

***** 

A.N : Like I said... it's kinda anti-climatic. _Ack_. Kinda trite, and overused. I'm sorry -hangs head in shame- I tried. 


	14. Wrong Made Right

A.N : Sorry for the long delay... I had some trouble with this one as I tried to tie up the loose ends and finish the story.****

**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**14 : Wrong Made Right**   
by inmyeyes 

(Monday. Lunch time. Chilton) 

"Is everything all right?" came the worried voice from beside her. 

Rory closed her locker door and sighed wearily, meeting Alexia's eyes. "Everything's just peachy." 

Alexia frowned when she caught the heavy sarcasm lacing Rory's words. "What's wrong?" 

"Everything." 

"What's wrong with you and Tristan?" she asked carefully, knowing that_ something _had happened between them at the dance. When Rory didn't answer, she tried again. "You know that you can tell me what happened, right?" 

Rory nodded. "Yeah, can we go someplace more private?" 

Minutes later, the two were seated in an empty classroom; Alexia waiting anxiously to hear Rory's side of the story whilst Rory dejectedly lay her head on the table. 

"What happened with Tristan?" 

"What makes you think this has got to do with him?" 

Alexia smiled. "I know something happened at the dance. I wasn't there when it happened, but I heard about it." 

Rory groaned. "Great, people are talking about it." 

"What else did you expect? Tristan is a hot topic," she pointed out. "Anyway, what really gave it away was the mopey expressions on both of your faces. Tristan looks as though his dog just got ran over by a truck and you look as though you've just found out that coffee production has been stopped." 

"Don't joke about the coffee," Rory warned weakly, trying to lighten up the conversation. 

Alexia chuckled. "The point is, the two of you look miserable... and I just wanted to know why." 

"Whatever that was between us is gone.. it wasn't serious. It was just a game," Rory sighed. 

"How do you know?" 

"I heard some people talking about it... I think it was a few of Tristan's friends. Something about how he has always wanted to get me to go out with him because he dates all the new girls and how they were surprised that he succeeded with me." Rory shrugged, covering her face with her hands. "I dunno. I don't want to remember it." 

Rory didn't see the frown that marred Alexia's delicate features. "Ok... so let me get this straight. You heard some stuff, believed it, then fought with Tristan over it." She paused. "Rory, you should know better than to believe gossip." 

"It's not just gossip!" Rory cried. "From the moment I stepped into Chilton, Tristan has been bugging me to go out with him, acting as though it was an honour that he was even considering me to be the next girl on his arm. How am I supposed to believe that what I heard _isn't_ true when every thing he has done since I knew him tells me that it is?" 

"People change, Rory." 

"Not Tristan." 

Alexia examined the morose girl and saw how frustrated and how torn up she was. "Why are you so eager to cast Tristan in the role of the bad guy?" she asked softly. Before she could say any more, the bell rang, signalling the end of their lunch break. Rory jumped at the chance to end the conversation. 

"Thanks for listening, Alexia," she said, picking up her bag. "I'll see you later. I need to get to Calculus." 

Without looking back, she fled the room. 

***** 

(Monday afternoon. Luke's) 

"Oh daughter of mine, you need to snap out of this funk you're in," Lorelai declared. "Here, have some coffee." 

Rory leaned her head on the table, sighing heavily. "I don't want coffee." 

A dramatic gasp was drawn from Lorelai who took back the cup that she had offered. "Blasphemy!" She cradled the cup protectively. 

"I just don't feel like having coffee," Rory explained. 

"I've failed as a mother!" Lorelai wailed in mock despair. 

Rory ignored her mother's crazy ramblings. "I hate Chilton." 

"It's ok, Mini-Me. You can handle it. It's just Chilton." 

"And hell is just a sauna." 

There was a rare moment of silence while the two of them were lost in thought. 

"Can I transfer out of Chilton?" Rory asked, half-jokingly. 

Lorelai took a chug of her coffee and shook her head. "Nope, the transaction is non-transferable. We've already sold our souls to the Devil." 

"Maybe we can get a refund if-" 

"Nope. Hell does not give refunds." 

"But I need to get away from Chilton!" 

"No, you need to get away from _Tristan_," Lorelai corrected. 

"Same difference," Rory muttered. 

"What's new in the Cold War, anyway?" Lorelai queried. 

"Nothing. Everything's good. I don't see him unless we're in the same class." 

"So, you hide out the library," Lorelai stated. 

Rory just shrugged. 

"You can't keep avoiding him forever, you know," Lorelai pointed out. 

Rory was insistent. "Yes, I can. I'm good at it." 

"No, you can't. One day you're gonna want to slam him against the lockers and kiss him senseless." 

Rory snorted in derision. "More like bash his head against the lockers." 

Lorelai shrugged. "All I'm saying is... you're gonna have to work this out. You need closure, little one." 

"I have closure," Rory protested. 

"Sure, you do," Lorelai said disbelievingly. "That's why your Brian McKnight tribute hasn't ended." 

"I hate you." 

Lorelai made a kissy face. "I'm waiting for my kiss, young lady." At Rory's perplexed look, she grinned slyly. "Don't you always kiss people you hate?" Lorelai just laughed as Rory threw her napkin at her. 

***** 

(The next day. Lunch time. Chilton) 

"What's wrong with you, DuGrey?" 

The question jarred him from his thoughts and he shifted his eyes to meet his friend's. "Nothing." 

"You've been staring at that Gilmore chick," he noted. 

Tristan bit the inside of his cheek to stop from telling his friend to stop calling Rory "that Gilmore chick". He didn't say anything but merely shrugged. 

"What is she to you? She's just a girl, Tristan... and we all knew that you were just playing her." The statement was punctuated with a laugh. He went on, "It was funny to watch her fall all over you at the dance. She fell for your plan hook, line and sinker!" 

Tristan clenched his fists and willed himself to not react. He pushed his chair back and stood up. "I've got something to do before the bell rings. I'll see you later." As quickly as he could, he walked away before he would do something he'd regret. Outside the walls of Chilton, he heaved a sigh of relief and sat himself on an empty bench, savouring the silence. It didn't last long though. 

"Tristan, can I talk to you?" 

His heart fell when he realized that it wasn't Rory, but the smile that was etched on his face was sincere. "Yeah, sure Alexia. Have a seat." 

Alexia went right to the point. "I want to know the truth about what happened between you and Rory." 

Tristan tensed at the mention of her name and Alexia noticed the stubborn set of his jaw. "I don't want to talk about it." 

"I want to know, so that I can help make this right again," she clarified. 

He gave her a questioning look. "Why?" 

She smiled. "Because Rory's my friend... and because I see that you really care for her. There was something between the two of you, I could see it." 

Tristan sighed. What harm could it do to tell her? 

***** 

"Why are you doing this?" 

Rory's hands stilled as she recognized the venom in the familiar voice and she stifled a long sigh. She went back to putting away her books. "What are you talking about, Paris?" she said wearily. 

"You've been a complete bitch to Tristan." 

Rory turned to face her and bit her lip to stop herself from saying something mean. "I've not been anything to Tristan, Paris. Isn't that the way you want it?" 

Paris' face softened, but only slightly. "He's miserable, you know." 

"What makes you think I'm not?" she retorted. 

"Give him a chance, Rory." 

Rory's look was one of shock... and suspicion. "You want me to give him a chance? Why are you saying this, Paris? Don't you want him for yourself?" 

Paris smile was wry. "He wants _you_, Rory. I can't do anything about that." Then she turned, and walked away. 

***** 

(That night. Gilmore House) 

Her conversation with Alexia had been running through her mind during the last two days. She hated how it made her question herself and her decisions. And then came the weird conversation with Paris. Her mind was muddled, and her gut was telling her that maybe, _maybe_ she had come to a rash conclusion about Tristan. 

Sure, he wasn't the best welcoming committee there was at Chilton. He did annoy her to no end, he didn't know when to stop and he could be arrogant as hell. But he could also make her laugh, he kept her on her toes and underneath that cocky veneer, he could be the sweetest guy. Ever since the start of their tentative friendship, he had given her no reason to doubt his intentions or his honesty with her. 

Yet, despite all that, it took a piece of gossip to shatter whatever there was between them because she was too quick to believe the worst of him. She recalled the night of the dance and his confusion when she demanded that he take her home. She remembered how genuinely puzzled he was at the change in her behaviour and the panic that she had glimpsed in his eyes when he realized that things were going wrong. And she could clearly see in her mind the earnestness in his eyes when he declared, "I think I'm in love with you." 

All the thoughts had been swimming in her mind for the past two days, but Rory wasn't confused at all. In fact, things were becoming crystal clear. 

***** 

(Wednesday. Chilton) 

"I need to talk to you," the two girls blurted at the same time, causing them to laugh simultaneously. 

"I have something to tell you," Alexia said urgently. She was too concerned with hoping that Rory would listen to her that she missed the sparkle in Rory's eyes. 

"_I_ need your help with something." 

Alexia nodded. "Ok. I'll see you after school." 

Just then, the bell rang. "Ok," Rory agreed. 

Later that day, the two girls met up in an empty classroom, ready to talk. 

"What do you need help with?" 

"I need you to help me get something in Tristan's locker." 

"What are you going to do? Put a stink bomb in there?" 

Rory laughed. "No, I'm trying to make things right again." 

Alexia's eyes widened is surprised and she had to smile. "What brought this on?" 

"I think I might have made a mistake," Rory admitted. "So, I'm trying to make amends." 

"I talked to Tristan yesterday." 

Rory's eyes snapped up when she heard his name and her heart started thumping wildly. "What did he say?" 

"He's still really torn up about what happened, Rory." Alexia noticed how Rory's face fell at her words. "But he still obviously cares about you." 

"He's not going to forgive me very easily, is he?" Rory sighed. 

"I think you'll be surprised." 

***** 

(Friday. End of school. Chilton) 

He couldn't wait to get away from this damn place. He was sick of all the comments that his friends were throwing around about Rory. He was sick of trying to pretend everything was fine. He was sick of telling everyone to just leave him alone. He ignored the sound of his friends calling his name and made a beeline for his locker. He'd get the books he needed, and then he'd get out of there. 

He'd get out of there... and far away from Rory. 

It had been almost 2 weeks since the fiasco at the dance but things were still as bleak and dreary as ever. He had hardly seen her around and it was clear that she was doing all she could to avoid seeing him. He had wanted to try and talk to her but the closed off expression in her eyes told him to stay away. Things were not looking up at all. 

Every day, he woke up and thought that maybe that would be the day when he'd finally move on from what happened; put it behind him and go back to the normal Tristan that everyone knew. But one glimpse of Rory and all his well-laid plans were shattered. Things were still unresolved between them and until there was some kind of resolution, he'd be stuck in this rut forever. Then again, he said to himself, he'd still be stuck in a rut if the resolution wasn't in his favour. 

Not bothering to alter his frowning expression, he plowed his way to his locker and threw the door open. 

He got the surprise of his life. "What the hell?" 

There was a huge jar of peas on top of his books and there was a note with his name on it taped to the jar. 

Smiling to himself, he grabbed the note and opened it.   


'_I hate the way you talk to me._   
_And the way you cut your hair._   
_I hate the way you drive my car._   
_I hate it when you stare.___

_I hate your big dumb combat boots._   
_And the way you read my mind._   
_I hate you so much it makes me sick._   
_It even makes me rhyme.___

_I hate the way you're always right._   
_I hate it when you lie._   
_I hate it when you make me laugh._   
_Even worse when you make me cry.___

_I hate it that you're not around._   
_And the fact that you didn't call._   
_But mostly I hate the way I don't hate you_   
_Not even close, not even a little bit, not even at all._   
__ __

His smile had widened by the time he had come to end of the poem. He let out a small laugh and reached in to grab the jar of peas. He shook his head slightly, amused. He turned around, his eyes searching for her. He found her leaning against a locker a few feet away from his, a shy smile on her lips. 

"Waiting for me, Mary?" he smirked, his eyes glinting mischievously. 

Rory laughed, and the sound warmed his heart. "My mission in life. But obviously I struck your fancy so you see it worked. The world makes sense again." 

For a moment, the pair just stood there, smiling crazily at each other. 

"How would you feel if I decided to slam you against the lockers and kiss you senseless?" Rory asked, moving to close the short distance between them. 

Tristan chuckled. "Where do you want me?" His breath caught when he found himself between the lockers and Rory and he revelled in the look in her eyes as she slowly leaned into him. 

"Oh, you're just fine where you are." 

Tristan couldn't wait any more: he leaned down and his lips covered hers. The kiss wasn't long, nor passionate; it was one full of promise of better things to come. It still felt wonderful to the two of them and it was a welcome relief from all hurt and confusion of the past two weeks. 

Rory's arms came around his neck as she hugged him tightly to her. "I missed you, and I'm sorry." 

Tristan closed his eyes and breathed in her familiar scent. To think that he was just thinking about how hopeless things seemed. "I know, I'm sorry too." 

The two pulled away, but Tristan still kept her hand in his. 

"So," he grinned cheekily. "Will you go out with me?" He felt her squeeze his hand, but he knew that she was going to give him a smart-ass answer. 

"Maybe if we were the last two people on Earth and there were no sheep. Are there sheep?" Rory asked innocently. 

They both broke into laughter, but it effectively ended when Rory leaned up and kissed him. 


	15. I [heart] You

**10 Things I Hate About You**   
**15 : I [heart] You**   
by inmyeyes

  


  


(A few months later. Gilmore house) 

"I'm sick of that song," Lorelai stated, reaching to turn down the volume. "I thought that you getting back with Tristan would end the tribute. Alas I was wrong. I think I can now sing this song in my sleep." She saw the small smile on her daughter's face and couldn't be more glad to see it. "What time is Pea Boy coming?" 

"Pea Boy?" 

Lorelai shrugged. "Pea Boy. Former Evil One. Disowned Spawn Of Satan." 

Rory shot her mother a weird look. "Ok, whatever you say mom. He'll be here soon." 

Lorelai watched her daughter and saw her fidgeting and clenching her hands. "So, you're finally gonna tell him tonight, huh?" 

"What?" 

"You're gonna tell him tonight." 

Rory was lost. "Tell him what?" 

Lorelai moved to sit next to her daughter on the couch and put her arm around her. "Don't worry, it'll be fine." 

"Mom, it would help if you told me what you're talking about." 

"You love him," she stated. "And you're finally gonna tell him." Lorelai hugged Rory closer when she saw the surprised look on her face. "I think he knows, but nothing beats hearing it." 

Rory sighed. "How did you know?" 

"Call it mother's intuition," Lorelai smiled. "It'll be fine. Don't worry." 

She disregarded her mother's reassurances and started wringing her hands nervously. "It's not fine. What if I say it wrong?" 

Lorelai laughed. "You can't say it wrong, honey." 

"What if he doesn't love me back? Rory mumbled dejectedly, leaning her head against the back of the couch. 

Lorelai pulled her daughter up into a sitting position. She cupped her hands around Rory's cheeks. "He does. I know he does. _You_ know he does. It's in the way he looks at you." 

Rory fiddled with the hem of her skirt. "I know. But it still doesn't make it any less difficult." 

Just at that moment, the doorbell rang and Rory let out a grunt of frustration. "Ok, that's probably him. I'll see you later, mom." 

Lorelai gave her a reassuring hug. "Don't worry about it, ok?" 

Rory took a few deep breaths before opening the door, mentally psyching herself up. She swung open the door and was greeted with the sight of him smiling at her. '_God, he has a beautiful smile.' _As it always did, her heart started racing whenever he was near. 

"Hi Mary," he said, grinning widely as he leaned down to drop a quick kiss on her lips. 'Mary' had become an endearment of sorts, and it never failed to make her smile whenever he called her that. 

There he was, standing at her front door. He was smiling in that special way he had, his blue eyes made more brilliant by the deep blue shirt he was wearing and he was looking at her as though she was most beautiful thing he had ever seen. 

"I love you, Tristan," she said softly, the words coming out much easier than she ever anticipated. 

At first he thought that he imagined it. He had hoped to hear it come from her lips someday. He knew that he loved her. It was difficult to deny every time they were together, and even every time they weren't together. She made him happy like any other; she made him smile, she made him laugh, she made him enjoy life and everything it had to offer. Every moment he spent with her was a moment he cherished because he had learnt never to take things with her for granted.

There were moments when he'd catch her looking at him, or the times when she kissed them or even just held his hand and he felt that maybe, she could come to love him. There was a gentleness in the way she touched him, a tiny spark in her kisses that hinted to him about her growing feelings. But he suppressed any hope that he might have felt; he didn't want to pressure her and besides, being with her was more than enough for him. They were together in a way that he had once only dreamed of.

But now _this_...  


He shifted his gaze so that he'd see her eyes and he had to remind himself to breathe when he saw the love shining clearly from her bright blue eyes. _She loved him_ . He fought to come to grips with it and struggled to get his mind back in working order.

His eyes had widened in surprise at her words, then darkened with an emotion that she recognized as love. The next thing she knew, his arms had engulfed her as he whispered to her, "I love you too, Mary." 

  


  


**- Finis -**   
****

  


A.N : Okay, it's done -phew- :D Hope you guys enjoyed it all and much, _much_ thanks to you guys who reviewed.


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